Patterns of Objectively Measured Sedentary Time and Emotional Disorder Symptoms Among Youth

Symptoms of Depression, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Time: Within-Person Relations From Age 6 to 18 in a Birth Cohort

OBJECTIVE

To examine the within-person relations between objectively measured physical activity and clinically assessed symptoms of depressive disorders from childhood to late adolescence.

METHOD

Seven waves of biennially collected data from a Norwegian birth-cohort (n = 873; 53% girls) followed from age 6 to 18 years were used. Accelerometers were used to assess total physical activity, moderate-to vigorous physical activity, and sedentary time, and symptoms of depression were assessed by semi-structured psychiatric interviews. Mediators (athletic self-esteem, body image, sports participation) were captured by questionnaires. Random intercept cross-lagged panel models were estimated to test the within-person relations and their potential mediators.

RESULTS

From ages 14 to 16 and 16 to 18 years, significant within-person relations were found. Decreased levels of total physical activity (PA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) predicted more symptoms of depression (PA: 14-16 years: β = -0.08; 16-18 years: β = -0.09; MVPA: 14-16 years: β = -0.10; 16-18 years: β = -0.07). These relations were not evident at earlier ages. From ages 10 to 12 and 14 to 16 years, an increased number of depressive symptoms predicted decreased levels of physical activity (PA: 10-12 years: β = -0.10; 14-16 years: β = -0.14: MVPA: 10-12 years: β = -0.10; 14-16 years: β = -0.17). We found no evidence for within-person relations between sedentary time and depressive symptoms, and no significant sex differences or mediations.

CONCLUSION

Individuals who increase their physical activity levels from middle to late adolescence are less likely to develop symptoms of depression compared to what they otherwise would. Thus, in this age period, physical activity may protect against depressive symptoms.

Sedentary behavior and self-harm in adolescents with asthma, rhinitis and eczema

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between allergic diseases and the tendency to self-harm in adolescents, considering the role of sedentary behavior.

METHODS

This was a population-based cross-sectional study, carried out in 2022, with 727 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years, from a capital in the Northeast of Brazil. The authors evaluated the association between each allergic disease (asthma, rhinitis and eczema) and self-harm, sedentary behavior and other variables. The authors performed an adjusted analysis of the associations between each allergy disease and the tendency to self-harm and then adjusted to the presence of family members and sedentary behavior.

RESULTS

The prevalence of asthma, rhinitis and eczema were 18.76%, 36.21% and 12.86%, respectively. Sedentary behavior and tendency to self-harm were more frequently reported in asthmatics (PR 2.16; 95% CI: 1.55 - 3.00 and PR 1.98; 95% CI: 1.47 - 2.68, for sedentary behavior and self-harm respectively), rhinitis (PR 1.53; 95% CI: 1.25 - 1.88 and PR 1.33; 95% CI: 1.09 - 1.62, respectively) and eczema (PR 2.35; 95% CI: 1.54 - 3.58 and PR 1.55; 95% CI: 1.05 - 2.28, respectively). There was a reduction in the strength of this association in the three conditions, which included a loss of association.

CONCLUSION

High rates of sedentary behavior and self-harm in those with asthma, rhinitis and eczema. Physical activity attenuated the risk for self-harm. It warns about the urgency in detecting these factors, whether in the diagnosis or in the implementation of therapy, seeking to reduce their harmful consequences in the short and long term.

Structured-unstructured activity behaviours on preschoolers' mental and physical health: a compositional and isotemporal reallocation analysis

This study analysed the relationship between the structured and unstructured activities of preschoolers and their mental and physical health, and also investigated the predicted changes in mental and physical health by reallocating activity time. This cross-sectional study was carried out with 324 preschoolers. Video recording and SOPARC activity observation system was used for the division of structured and unstructured activities. An accelerometer sensor was used to measure activity intensity. The SDQ psychological questionnaire was adopted to collect data on internalizing difficulties, externalizing difficulties, total difficulties and pro-social behaviours. Physical indices including body shape (height, weight, BMI), and physical fitness (upper and lower limb strength, flexibility, agility, and balance) were collected using Chinese toddler physical fitness measurement tools. Component data and isotemporal reallocation analyses were conducted using R Studio (Version 4.2). A total of 308 preschoolers (160 boys; aged 4.50 ± 0.93 years) were included in the data analysis. The activities composition, adjusted for sex, area, mental level (for mental indicators), or age (for physical indicators), was significantly correlated with various measurement indicators (p < 0.05). Specifically, structured (β=-0.87, p < 0.05) and unstructured (β=-1.24, p < 0.05) moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were significantly positive correlated with internalizing difficulties, while structured MVPA was significantly positively correlated with body shape (β = 2.17, p < 0.05). Replacing structured light physical activity (LPA) with 10 min of structured MVPA has a positive effect on internalizing difficulties (SMD=-1.28, 95%CI: -2.30 to -0.27) and body shape (SMD = 1.76, 95%CI: 0.37 to 3.15). When the total replacement time reaches 25 min, the benefits become even more pronounced. Structured and unstructured MVPA are both beneficial to preschoolers' mental and physical health, with the incorporation of MVPA for over 25 min in structured activities and supplementary unstructured MVPA yielding even greater benefits.

Substitutions of physical activity and sedentary behavior with negative emotions and sex difference among college students

BACKGROUND

A growing number of studies have found that physical activity (PA) benefits mental health, and sedentary behavior (SB) increases the risk of psychological symptoms, but it remains unclear whether substituting the duration of different activities may affect the association, and whether sex difference exists among college students.

METHODS

A longitudinal survey was conducted in three colleges in Anhui province, China. A total of 8049 participants validly answered the questionnaire, which included demographic variables, PA, SB and negative emotions (depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms).

RESULTS

Substituting 30 min per day of SB with equivalent walking was associated with lower scores of depressive symptoms. Stress symptoms were reduced when SB was substituted by moderate intensity PA (MPA) and walking. Substituting 30 min per day of MPA in place of walking and SB was associated with an amelioration of depressive and stress symptoms in females, and a reallocation of 30 min walking was associated with lower depressive and stress symptom scores when SB was replaced in males.

CONCLUSIONS

Replacing SB with walking and MPA ameliorates the depressive and stress symptoms in young adults. The results suggest a reallocation of time from SB or walking to MPA in females while from SB to walking in males may markedly reduce the depressive and stress symptoms in college population.

Association between sedentary behavior and depression among South Korean adolescents

BACKGROUND

The symptoms and outcomes of depressed mood are considered severe social issues among Korean adolescents. However, it is difficult to detect depressed mood and evaluate the factors associated with suicide among such individuals. Identifying the risk factors of depressed mood would allow for improved perspectives for interventions. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the association between sedentary behavior and the prevalence of depressed mood.

METHODS

From 2014 to 2020, the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey (KYRBS), which is a web-based self-report survey, was used for analysis. A total of 366,405 individuals participated in this study. Sedentary behavior was divided into 3 groups based on the duration of sedentary behavior: low sedentary time group (LS, 25 percentile), middle sedentary time group (MS, from 25 to 75 percentile, reference), and high sedentary time group (HS, above 75 percentile). Further, sedentary behavior is divided into 4 subgroups based on weekdays or weekends and owing to studying or non-studying. The chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were used in this study.

RESULTS

Compared to the MS, which is the reference, male participants in both the LS and HS had experienced depressed mood (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.035, 95% CI = 1.003-1.068 in the LS, adjusted OR: 1.091, CI = 1.055-1.129 in the HS). Among females, only the HS was statistically significant (adjusted OR: 1.039, 95% CI = 1.011-1.069 in HS). Korean adolescents with longer sedentary durations during weekdays regardless of the cause of sedentary behavior are positively associated with depressed mood with suicidality in the HS for both genders.

CONCLUSION

This study found a positive association between the prevalence of depressed mood and sedentary behavior, and it focused on the cause and timing. Interventions targeting sedentary behavior could be effective in reducing depressed mood and suicidality among adolescents.