title: Physical activity patterns and risk of depression in young adulthood: a 20-year cohort study since childhood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Little is known about how physical activity patterns during childhood and adolescence are associated with risk of subsequent depression. We examined prospective and retrospective associations between leisure physical activity patterns from childhood to adulthood and risk of clinical depression in young adulthood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (759 males, 871 females) in a national survey, aged 9-15 years, were re-interviewed approximately 20 years later. Leisure physical activity was self-reported at baseline (1985) and follow-up (2004-2006). To bridge the interval between the two time-points, historical leisure activity from age 15 years to adulthood was self-reported retrospectively at follow-up. Physical activity was categorized into groups that, from a public health perspective, compared patterns that were least beneficial (persistently inactive) with those increasingly beneficial (decreasing, increasing and persistently active). Depression (major depressive or dysthymic disorder) was assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with those persistently inactive, males who were increasingly and persistently active had a 69 and 65 % reduced risk of depression in adulthood, respectively (all p < 0.05). In retrospective analyses, females who were persistently active had a 51 % reduced risk of depression in adulthood (p = 0.01). Similar but non-significant trends were observed for leisure physical activity in females and historical leisure activity in males. Results excluded those with childhood onset of depression and were adjusted for various sociodemographic and health covariates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings from both prospective and retrospective analyses indicate a beneficial effect of habitual discretionary physical activity since childhood on risk of depression in young adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Menzies Research Institute Tasmania, Private Bag 23, Hobart, 7000, Australia, charlotte.mckercher@utas.edu.au.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McKercher
authors.forename: Kristy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sanderson
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Otahal
authors.forename: George C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Patton
authors.forename: Terence
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dwyer
authors.forename: Alison J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Venn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D057566:Self Report; D055815:Young Adult