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In modern society, almost every adult is under pressure, and many people will have anxiety, negativity or depression from time to time, which is a normal thing. However, if the stress is not relieved in time and these negative emotions are eliminated, it is likely to lead to depression.
Depression is a common mental illness that affects 280 million people worldwide, not only harmful to people's health and lives, but also related to the increased risk of death, and is one of the main causes of suicide.
Effective interventions are needed to prevent depression. Scientists have found that many behaviors in daily life are associated with an increased or decreased risk of depression, such as physical activity.
According to a study published in jama Psychiatry, physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of depression; if the amount of physical activity reaches the World Health Organization's recommendations, it will prevent the occurrence of depression in 1 in 9 (11.5%).
According to the World Health Organization, adults should perform 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, or 75-150 minutes of high-intensity physical activity, or an equal combination of both.
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Researchers from institutions such as the University of Cambridge in the UNITED Kingdom analyzed data from 15 published studies, including a total of 191,130 participants, of whom 28,806 suffered from depression. The participants were between the ages of 18-83 and 64% were women.
The researchers counted the participants' physical activity information and calculated their metabolic equivalent (MET).
MET is the ratio of the energy expended during physical activity to the energy consumed at rest. When the same energy is consumed, the higher the MET value, the greater the physical activity intensity and the shorter the time it takes; the lower the MET value, the smaller the physical activity intensity and the longer it takes.
In the new study, the researchers defined physical activity with a MET of 3.5 as moderate-intensity physical activity and physical activity with a MET of 7 as high-intensity physical activity.
For example, the energy expended for 8.8 MET hours/week of physical activity requires about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity with a MET of 3.5, or about 75 minutes of high-intensity physical activity with a MET of 7.
In addition, the researchers also counted basic health information such as height and weight of the participants, lifestyle information such as smoking status and diet; and measured the subjects' blood pressure, blood sugar and blood lipid levels; as well as mental status and stress.
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The statistics showed that 78 percent of all participants were physically active for less than 17.5 MET hours per week, or less than 300 minutes of moderate physical activity per week, or less than 150 minutes of intense physical activity. At the same time, participants with worsening depression were less physically active than participants who had no worsening depression during the study period.
After stripping out the influence of other factors, the researchers found that physical activity was associated with a reduced risk of depression in the participants.
Participants with physical activity of 8.8 MET hours/week and 17.5 MET hours/week had a 25% and 28% lower risk of depression and a 25% and 26% lower risk of major depressive disorder, respectively, compared with participants who were rarely physically active.
Even if the amount recommended by the World Health Organization is not met, a small amount of physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of depression. Participants with a physical activity volume of 4.4 MET hours/week had a 18% and 17% lower risk of depression and major depressive disorder, respectively, compared to participants who rarely engaged in physical activity.
For people with depression, physical activity is also good for health. Compared with depressed patients with little physical activity, the risk of worsening depression was reduced by 20%, 27%, and 30%, respectively, in patients with physical activity of 4.4 MET/week, 8.8 MET hours/week, and 17.5 MET hours/week.
At the same time, the results of the study also showed that if the participants achieved physical activity of 4.4 MET/week, 8.8 MET hours/week and 17.5 MET hours/week, they would avoid depression of 6.4%, 11.5% and 13.9%, respectively; avoid major depressive disorder of 3%, 7.3% and 8.0%, respectively; and avoid depression of 9.5%, 14.4% and 17.0% of depression, respectively.
It is important to note that engaging in more physical activity did not have a greater impact on the risk of depression.
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The researchers analyzed that physical activity may have an impact on depression risk through a variety of mechanisms, such as affecting neuroendocrine, reducing inflammation, and having beneficial effects on brain nerve structure; improving self-perception and body image, becoming stronger, and boosting self-confidence and happiness. However, the relevant mechanism is not yet clear, and more research and exploration are needed.
Since this study was observational, it only showed that physical activity was associated with a reduced risk of depression occurring and developing, and did not show a causal relationship. There are also limitations in the study, such as the dependence of physical activity on participant recall, which may also have an impact on the results.
The study concludes by highlighting that every physical activity in life is important, not only for physical health, but also for mental health, reducing the risk of depression. Therefore, everyone should move and reduce sedentary time, even if it does not meet the Recommended Amount of the World Health Organization, it is beneficial to do half the amount.
The researchers point out that if each of us can increase physical activity to reach the Amount recommended by the World Health Organization, then 1 in 9 people with depression can be prevented. For people with depression, physical activity should be more appropriate, which will help alleviate the condition and reduce the risk of exacerbation. The researchers suggest that in the treatment of depression, in addition to drug therapy, psychotherapy, physical activity interventions should also be included in the treatment.
Resources
[1] Matthew Pearce, et al.,(2022). Association Between Physical Activity and Risk of DepressionA Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry, DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.0609.
[2] Exercise is powerful medicine for depression. Retrieved Apr 22 ,2022,from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-powerful-medicine-depression.html
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