Effect of walking distance on 8-year incident depressive symptoms in elderly men with and without chronic disease: the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of walking on incident depressive symptoms in elderly Japanese-American men with and without chronic disease.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study.


METHODS
The Honolulu-Asia Aging Study.


METHODS
Japanese-American men aged 71 to 93 at baseline.


METHODS
Physical activity was assessed according to self-reported distance walked per day. Depressive symptoms were measured using an 11-question version of the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D 11) at the fourth examination (n=3,196) and at the seventh examination 8 years later (1999/00, n=1,417). Presence of incident depressive symptoms was defined as a CES-D 11 score of 9 or greater or taking antidepressants at Examination 7. Subjects with prevalent depressive symptoms at baseline were excluded.


RESULTS
Age-adjusted 8-year incident depressive symptoms were 13.6%, 7.6%, and 8.5% for low (<0.25 miles/day), intermediate (0.25-1.5 miles/day), and high (>1.5 miles/day) walking groups at baseline (P=0.008). Multiple logistic regression analyses, adjusted for age, education, marital status, cardiovascular risk factors, prevalent diseases, and functional impairment, showed that those in the intermediate and highest walking groups had significantly lower odds of developing 8-year incident depressive symptoms (odds ratio (OR)=0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.32-0.83, P=.006 and OR=0.61, 95% CI= 0.39-0.97, P=.04, respectively). Analysis found that this association was significant only in participants without chronic diseases (coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular accident, cancer, Parkinson's disease, dementia, or cognitive impairment) at baseline.


CONCLUSIONS
Daily physical activity (≥0.25 mile/day) is significantly associated with lower risk of 8-year incident depressive symptoms in elderly Japanese-American men without chronic disease at baseline.
Smith
Toby L
TL
John A. Hartford Center of Excellence in Geriatrics, Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817, USA. smithtl@hawaii.edu
Masaki
Kamal H
KH
Fong
Kaon
K
Abbott
Robert D
RD
Ross
George W
GW
Petrovitch
Helen
H
Blanchette
Patricia L
PL
White
Lon R
LR
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006254:Hawaii / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016138:Walking