title: Lower levels of physical activity in childhood associated with adult depression.
abstract: Emerging evidence indicates that early life exposures influence adult health outcomes and there is cause to hypothesise a role for physical activity (PA) in childhood as a protective factor in adult depression. This study aimed to investigate the association between self-reported levels of PA in childhood and self-reported depressive illness. Lifetime depression and levels of physical activity (low/high) in childhood (<15 yr) were ascertained by self-report in 2152 adults (20-97 yr) participating in an ongoing epidemiological study in south-eastern Australia. Data were collected between 2000 and 2006. In this sample, 141 women (18.9%) and 169 men (12.0%) reported ever having a depressive episode. Low PA in childhood was associated with an increased risk of reporting depression in adulthood (OR=1.70, 95%CI=1.32-2.17, p<0.001). Adjustment for age, gender and adult PA attenuated the relationship somewhat (OR=1.35, 95%CI=1.01-1.78, p=0.04), however further adjustment for SES or country of birth did not affect this relationship. In this community-based study, lower levels of self-reported PA in childhood were associated with a 35% increase in odds for self-reported depression in adulthood. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that lower levels of PA in childhood may be a risk factor for adult depression.
authors.affiliation: The University of Melbourne, Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences: Barwon Health Victoria, Australia. felice@barwonhealth.org.au
authors.forename: F N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Jacka
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pasco
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Leslie
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dodd
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kotowicz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult