title: Longitudinal associations between walking frequency and depressive symptoms in older adults: results from the VoisiNuAge study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cross-sectional studies show that walking is associated with depression among older adults, but longitudinal associations have rarely been examined. The aim of this study was to investigate longitudinal associations between walking frequency and depressive symptoms in older adults to determine which variable is the stronger prospective predictor of the other.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal; four repeated measures over 5 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based sample of urban-dwelling older adults living in the Montreal metropolitan area.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants from the VoisiNuAge study aged 68 to 84 (N=498).
  
  
  METHODS
  
  
  
  METHODS
  depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale) and number of walking days in previous week (Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly). Covariates: age, education, and number of chronic illnesses. Cross-lagged panel analyses were performed in the entire sample and in sex-stratified subsamples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depressive symptoms predicted walking frequency at subsequent time points (and more precisely, higher depressive symptoms were related to fewer walking days), but walking frequency did not predict depressive symptoms at subsequent time points. Stratified analyses revealed that prospective associations were statistically significant in women but not men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The longitudinal association between walking frequency and depressive symptoms is one in which depressive symptoms predict reduced walking frequency later. Higher depressive symptoms are more likely a cause of reduced walking because of time precedence than vice versa. Future research on longitudinal relationships between meeting physical activity recommendations and depression are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche en Santé Publique de l'Université de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Julien
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.|Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.|Centre de Recherche Léa-Roback sur les Inégalités Sociales de Santé de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gauvin
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche en Santé Publique de l'Université de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.|Centre de Recherche Léa-Roback sur les Inégalités Sociales de Santé de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.|Faculté des Sciences Infirmières, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.|Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.|Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.|Centre de Recherche Léa-Roback sur les Inégalités Sociales de Santé de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kestens
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche sur le Vieillissement, Centre de Santé et des Services Sociaux, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.|Département des Sciences de la Santé Communautaire, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Payette
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population; D016138:Walking
keywords: aged; depression; longitudinal studies; motor activity; walking