Objective: This study investigated the reciprocal nature of the depression–physical activity relationship with reference to lifetime cumulative adversity (LCA), over a period of 8 years across 5 time points. Method: Based on data from the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), the sample included 21,996 participants between the ages of 50 and 100 years. The analysis was designed as a random intercept cross-lagged panel model. The trajectories measured were depression and and physical activity. The independent variable, LCA, was created by the sum of stressful events, and the analyses controlled for background characteristics. Results: Using analyses that controlled for several covariates, the findings revealed that physical activity significantly reduced the risk for depression at two time points along the study, and depression significantly reduced future physical activity at three time points, imply for a reciprocal nature of the relationship between the two variables. Further, a higher level of LCA was associated with higher levels of depression and with lower baseline levels of physical activity. Conclusions: The results support a bidirectional relation between physical activity and depression. In addition, older people who have experienced multiple stressful events during their lifetimes are at risk of being more depressed and less active in aging. Interventions that target the vulnerable population having high levels of cumulative adversity, and use methods to increase physical activity may reduce the risk for depression among this high-risk population.

Authors:
Michal Levinsky, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Michal Levinsky is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

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