title: Above-moderate physical activity reduces both incident and persistent late-life depression in rural Koreans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the natural course of depressive symptoms among community-dwelling elderly over 5 years. Rates and correlates of the incidence and the persistence of late-life depression were examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 701 elderly people 65 years of age or older without dementia at baseline were included in this study. The association between categorically defined late-life depression (score of ≥ 8 on the Korean version of the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form) and possible lifestyle and clinical risk factors, including physical activity assessed with a modified Korean version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and transformed into weekly Metabolic Equivalent Task (MET) values, was longitudinally investigated using multiple logistic regression analyses. Adjustment was done with sociodemographic variables, chronic medical illnesses, and cognitive dysfunction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 5-year follow-up, 74 (26.5%) of the non-depressed elderly developed depression, whereas 30 (49.2%) of the depressed elderly experienced persistent depression. Above-moderate baseline physical activity was independently associated with decreased incidence and persistence rates of late-life depression (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.22-0.85; AOR = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.03-0.92, respectively), whereas mild physical activity was not. Conversely, poorer executive function also predicted 5-year incident depression (AOR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.89-0.98) but not persistent depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that a minimum of moderate physical activity is related to both emergent and persistent depression in elderly individuals. Research with an extended follow-up period and a shorter inter-assessment interval is needed to confirm this result.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.|Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jee Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.|Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul Metropolitan Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jun-Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kyungpook National University Medical Center, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Byung-Soo
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.|Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, South Korea.|Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, Seoul National University College of Natural Sciences, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Woong
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Sungshin Women's University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Song Hwa
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chae
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.|Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Maeng Je
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: depression; elderly; incidence; longitudinal studies; physical activity; risk factors