Personality, physical activity, and symptoms of anxiety and depression: the HUNT study.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the association between physical activity (PA), symptoms of depression and anxiety, and personality traits.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study from a Norwegian population-based survey conducted in the period 2006-2008. The sample consisted of a total of 38,743 subjects aged ≥ 19 years, 56.1 % women and 43.9 % men. Demographic variables, PA, depression and anxiety (The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and personality (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire) were assessed by self-reporting measurements.


RESULTS
Individuals who reported moderate and high PA had significantly lower scores on depression and anxiety compared with less physically active individuals (p < 0.05). Significantly lower risk of HADS-defined depression and anxiety was associated with frequency, duration, and intensity of activity among women (p < 0.05), and significantly lower risk of HADS-defined depression was associated with frequency, duration, and intensity of activity among men (p < 0.05). There was a significant linear trend between extroversion and levels of PA (p < 0.01) and between neuroticism and PA (p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Subjects reporting regular leisure-time PA were less likely to report symptoms of HADS-defined depression and anxiety. Personality may be an underlying factor in explaining this association.
Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Management, Department of Human Movement Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway. audun.brunes@ntnu.no
Audun
A
Brunes
Liv Berit
LB
Augestad
Sigridur Lara
SL
Gudmundsdottir
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires