The Relationship between Physical Activity and Depressive Symptoms in Middle-Aged and Elderly People Controlling for Demographic and Health Status Variables

Abstract

Objective: To explore the relationship between physical activity intensity and depressive symptoms in Chinese middle-aged and elderly people, and to provide new evidence for the prevention and treatment of depression by physical activity. Methods: The data came from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Using the PPS sampling method, a baseline survey was conducted among middle-aged and elderly people over the age of 45 across the country to investigate their demographics, health status, economic status, and other information. A total of 6128 people with complete information on depression and physical activity were included in the analysis. The Z-test, analysis of covariance, and logistic regression were performed on the data using SPSS 27.0 software. Results: In terms of depressive symptoms, the proportion of detected depressive symptoms was 33.6% and the proportion of no depressive symptoms was 69.4%, and the prevalence of males was higher than that of females. Participants with high physical activity accounted for 50.9%, participants with low physical activity accounted for 49.1%, and the physical activity of males was significantly higher than that of females. There was a significant relationship between physical activity and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and elderly people (p < 0.05), and after adjusting for demographic variables (location of residence, education level, gender, age, and widowed or not), health status characteristics and living habits (diabetes and disability), self-rated health status, hypertension, stroke, hyperlipidemia, arthritis, and walking 1 km, the association between physical activity and depressive symptoms remained statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The proportion of Chinese middle-aged and elderly men suffering from depressive symptoms was slightly higher than that of women, and middle-aged and elderly people with high physical activity had a lower risk of developing depressive symptoms. Attention should be paid to middle-aged and elderly people who are older, have poor self-assessed health status, have disabilities, have high blood pressure, have arthritis, have low physical activity and cannot walk one kilometer, and have low physical activity. Scientific and effective exercise prescriptions should be explored to prevent and improve depressive symptoms in middle-aged and elderly people.

The relationship between walking ability, self-rated health, and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and elderly people after controlling demographic, health status, and lifestyle variables

“…This study found that older people have a higher risk of depressive symptoms. This result is consistent with the results of Zhang Y et al [21] They found that PA level of middle-aged and elderly decreases with age, but the risk of depression also increases. They suggested that more attention should be paid to the effect of aging on mental health of older people.…”

“…Demographic, health status, and lifestyle variables. Demographic variables include gender (male or female), age (50-59 or 60-69 or 70-79 or 80-89 or 90 and above), [21] type of household registration (urban or rural), education level (below high school or above high school), and widowhood (yes or no). Health status and lifestyle variables include hypertension (yes or no), hyperlipidemia (yes or no), diabetes (DM) (yes or no), stroke (yes or no), asthma (yes or no), arthritis (yes or no), bad mood (yes or no), physical activity (PA) level (high or low), and smoking (yes or no).…”

The Influencing Factors and Intervention Measures of Aging Stereotypes

“…For older people with diseases, intergenerational contact also has a positive impact. Frequent family intergenerational contact has been found to improve self-rated health in older adults by alleviating depression [38] . In terms of work, the influence of contact between the elderly and young people on work engagement, and the attitudes of middle-aged and older workers play a partial mediating role [39] .…”

The effect of Baduanjin exercise on the physical and mental health of college students: A randomized controlled trial

“…[8,9] Insufficient physical activity has been shown to be associated with increased risk of weight gain, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and heart disease. [10] Therefore, there is a chance that college students would develop chronic illnesses in the future, which will be expensive for the family and society. [11][12][13] College students mental health issues are particularly severe due to their changing living conditions and mounting academic pressure, and they are becoming a major global public health concern.…”