Physical inactivity amplifies the negative association between sleep quality and depressive symptoms

Abstract

Poor sleep quality and physical inactivity are known risk factors for depressive symptoms. Yet, whether these factors differently contribute to depressive symptoms and whether they interact with one another remains unclear. Here, we examined how sleep quality and physical activity influence depressive symptoms in 79,274 adults 50 years of age or older (52.4% women) from the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) study. Sleep quality (poor vs. good), physical activity (inactive vs. active), and depressive symptoms (0 to 12 score) were repeatedly collected (7 waves of data collection) between 2004 and 2017. Results showed that sleep quality and physical activity were associated with depressive symptoms. Specifically, participants with poorer sleep quality reported more depressive symptoms than participants with better sleep quality (b = 1.85, 95% CI = 1.83-1.86, p < .001). Likewise, compared to physically active participants, physically inactive participants reported more depressive symptoms (b = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.42-0.45, p < .001). Moreover, sleep quality and physical activity showed an interactive association with depressive symptoms (b = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.13-0.20, p < .001). The negative association between poor sleep quality and higher depressive symptoms was stronger in physically inactive than active participants. These findings suggest that, in adults 50 years of age or older, both poor sleep quality and physical inactivity are related to an increase in depressive symptoms. Moreover, the detrimental association between poor sleep quality and depressive symptoms is amplified in physically inactive individuals.

Better Subjective Sleep Quality Partly Explains the Association Between Self-Reported Physical Activity and Better Cognitive Function

“…Self-reported sleep quality, assessed using CAPI at wave 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7, was derived from the question: "Have you had trouble sleeping recently?" Participants who answered "Trouble with sleep or recent change in pattern" were classified as having poor sleep quality, whereas participants who answered "No trouble sleeping" were classified as having good sleep quality [65,66].…”

Associations of Meeting 24-hour Movement Behavior Guidelines with Cognitive Difficulty and Social Relationships in Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder

“…For example, in the general population, lower levels of sedentary behaviors, mainly recreational screen time [30], and optimal sleep duration [31] have been positively and independently related to academic achievement in children and adolescents [32]. There is also evidence that these three movement behaviors (i.e., physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep) are codependent and thus should be examined simultaneously [33][34][35]. Together the above-mentioned evidence indicates that integrating non-pharmacological or lifestyle-related interventions aiming to positively in uence sedentary behavior, sleep duration and the level of regular physical activity may bene t children and adolescents with ADHD.…”