Association between device-based measured physical activity timing and depression risk: a prospective cohort study of UK Biobank participants

BMJ Public Health, vol. 3, pp. e002245

Abstract

Introduction: Physical activity (PA) decreases the risk of mental diseases. Although PA timing has been hypothesised to affect mental health outcomes, no large-scale epidemiological cohort studies have been performed. We investigated the association between PA timing and incident depression in the general population. Methods: A total of 89 934 European participants (62.4±7.9 years, age range: 43-79 years, 44.8% men) without a history of depression were analysed. Hourly PA levels were derived from accelerometry data and standardised for the total daily amount of PA. Participants were followed for a maximum of 8.5 years. Risks of incident depression dependent on individually standardised hourly PA level were assessed using Cox proportional-hazards models adjusted for potential confounders. Results: During follow-up, 1748 participants developed depression. Using the hourly standardised PA levels, we observed higher risks for incident depression with higher night-time PA (eg, at 4:00 HR 1.35; 95% CI 1.28, 1.41), and lower depression risks with higher morning-time PA (eg, at 9:00 HR 0.85; 95% CI 0.81, 0.89). Also in the subgroup analysis, compared with participants who were most active during midday, participants with most PA in the early morning had a lower risk for incident depression (HR 0.80; 95% CI 0.68, 0.95). No differences were observed when analyses were stratified for sex, chronotype or for the overall objective PA level. Conclusions: Morning PA was associated with lower risk and night-time PA was associated with increased risk of depression. These findings may suggest that future intervention studies should include timing as an additional dimension of PA as a possible treatment and prevention strategy for depression.

Authors 6

1. Gali Albalak Aachen Internal Medicine Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics

   Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Internal Medicine, Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

2. David van Bodegom Aachen Public Health and Primary Care

   Leiden University Medical Center · Leyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing

   Affiliation as printed

   Leyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing, Leiden, The Netherlands

   Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

3. Piraveena Thangarajah Aachen Internal Medicine Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics

   Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Internal Medicine, Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

4. Erik J. Giltay Aachen Psychiatry

   Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

5. Diana van Heemst Aachen Internal Medicine Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics

   Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Internal Medicine, Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

6. Raymond Noordam Aachen Clinical Epidemiology Health Campus The Hague/Department of Public Health and Primary Care

   Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

   Health Campus The Hague/Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands