title: Factors affecting the increased risk of physical inactivity among older people with depressive symptoms.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between depressive symptoms and physical inactivity, and whether motives for and barriers to exercise explain the potential association between depressive symptoms and physical inactivity in older people. The design of the study was cross-sectional. The study population comprised 645 people born between 1922 and 1928 who were residents in a city-center area of Jyväskylä in central Finland. Depressive symptoms were assessed using Center for the Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, physical activity using Grimby's (1986) validated scale, and motives for and barriers to exercise using a questionnaire and mobility limitation with a test of walking time over 10 m. The results demonstrated that the risk of physical inactivity was more than twofold among persons with depressive symptoms compared with non-depressed people. A higher prevalence of perceived barriers to physical activity, such as poor health, fear and negative experiences, together with lack of knowledge, explained part of the increased risk of physical inactivity among those with depressive symptoms while differences in motives for physical activity did not have a material effect. Adjustment for walking time over 10 m attenuated the increased risk of inactivity further. When planning exercise promotion programs, finding ways to overcome fear and negative experiences and providing information may help to increase physical activity among people with depressive symptoms. Additionally, difficulties caused by poor mobility should not be ignored.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences and the Finnish Centre for Interdisciplinary Gerontology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland. eerika.rosqvist@kolumbus.fi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rosqvist
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heikkinen
authors.forename: T-M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Lyyra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirvensalo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kallinen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leinonen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rasinaho
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pakkala
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rantanen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires