Physical Activity and Prevalence of Depression and Antidepressants in the Spanish Population

Abstract

Introduction: Depression is a mental disorder that affects more than 250 million people in the world, limiting their functional capacities. The work of public health policies is aimed at reducing its prevalence as well as its pharmaceutical cost. Physical activity (PA) programs are interventions with a high potential for effectiveness. Objectives: To establish the relationships between physical activity and the prevalence of depression and antidepressant intake in the Spanish population. Design: We performed a correlational study that was based on data from the European Health Survey Spain 2020 with 20,287 participants, aged 18–84 years, living in Spain. Results: Dependency relationships were found between the prevalence of depression, and: the frequency of PA, the number of days of PA per week, and the number of days of muscle strengthening in the population, in both sexes, and in all age groups (p < 0.001). Dependency relationships were found between the three PA variables and the prevalence of taking antidepressants (p < 0.001). An elevated prevalence of depression and antidepressant taking were found in the inactive groups compared to those who performed PA (p < 0.05). Conclusions: There is an inverse relationship between physical activity and the probability of suffering from depression and the intake of antidepressants. Performing PA 3–4 days/week, including 1–2 days of strength work, could be the best proposal to reduce the prevalence of depression in the Spanish population.

A Cross-Sectional Study on the Associations between Physical Activity Level, Depression, and Anxiety in Smokers and Ex-Smokers

“…In relation to other research, Galán-Arroyo et al highlighted that, in the general population, the prevalence of depression and anxiety were associated with the frequency of PA. The highest levels of prevalence of depression were also found in the population that “never” performs PA (13.4%), however, these data were slightly lower than in the present study, as the main difference lay in the fact that they studied the general population, as opposed to the condition of being a smoker or ex-smoker in the present study [ 42 ]. This study by Galán-Arroyo et al also shows that there is a lower prevalence of depression in the “active” population, which is noteworthy as they have lower prevalence data than the “very active” population, as in our study.…”

“…In both sub-study 1 and sub-study 2, in smokers and ex-smokers, a higher prevalence of depression (9.4–15.7% vs. 6.8–9.1%) and anxiety (11.4–16.3% vs. 5.8–7.9%) was found in women compared to men. Another study in the general population also found a higher prevalence of depression in women (12.5%) than in men (6.2%), in this case twice as high [ 42 ].…”

Physical Activity Frequency and Depression in the Spanish Population

“…Depression prevalence was higher in the inactive groups, decreasing in the groups with higher PA frequency. Several studies support these results [ 15 , 16 , 37 , 38 ], stating that is mandatory to increase the importance of PA to reduce the likelihood of depression. Rosenbaum (2014) [ 22 ] reported that PA reduces depressive symptoms in people with mental illness.…”

“…Some examples of these policies could be guides and advice for families about PA, sports programs promoted by municipalities, educational centers and companies, policies to promote PA as a way of transportation, creating areas for the practice of PA, active aging programs, etc. These policies are aimed to increase the frequency of PA in all age groups, as inactivity has a potential risk for depression [ 15 , 16 ], and as we know, depression can appear at any age [ 46 ].…”

“…PA shows beneficial effects combating depression [ 14 ], maybe due to the release of endorphins produced during the activity which reduces anxiety, depression and stress levels [ 15 , 16 ]. Numerous studies support the beneficial effects of physical activity on depression, both in terms of prevention and treatment [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”