Relationships between health behaviour and depression in the aged.
Relationships between the occurrence of depression, drinking alcohol, performing physical exercise and smoking were explored in Finns aged 60 years or over. A multivariate analysis based on log-linear models showed a positive relationship between higher occurrence of depression, smoking and no regular physical exercise in men, and between higher occurrence of depression, not smoking, abstaining and no regular physical exercise in women. We suggest that factors related to personality traits and coping styles explain both the relationship between depression and smoking, and sex differences in smoking habits; the relaxing and euphoric effect of a small amount of alcohol may explain the association between lower occurrence of depression and non-abstaining in women. The association between higher occurrence of depression and no regular physical exercise may reflect either the cause of depression, or the effects of depressive disorder.
Kivelä
S L
SL
Department of Public Health Science, University of Oulu, Finland.
Pahkala
K
K
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking