The longitudinal reciprocal association between depression and physical activity in old age: The role of lifetime cumulative adversity

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 in aging.

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 (M = 65.5, SD = 9.1). The analysis was designed as a random intercept cross-lagged panel model. The trajectories measured were depression and physical activity. The independent variable, LCA, was created by the sum of stressful events, and the analyses controlled for background characteristics.

Results

The findings revealed that physical activity significantly reduced the risk for depression at two time points along the study, whereas depression significantly reduced future physical activity during the entire period examined. Further, a higher level of LCA was associated with lower baseline levels of physical activity and higher levels of depression (β = −0.04, p < 0.001; β = 0.12, p < 0.001; respectively).

Conclusions

The results support a bidirectional relation between physical activity and depression, with stronger evidence for depression to physical activity. Interventions targeting the vulnerable population with a history of cumulative adversity, and utilizing techniques to mitigate depressive symptoms, may help to decrease the risk for physical inactivity and other health consequences in this population.