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Independent and Combined Associations of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior with Depressive Symptoms Among Japanese Adults

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Abstract

Background

Associations between levels of sedentary behavior and depressive symptoms independently and in combination with different levels of physical activity remain unclear.

Purpose

This study aimed to examine independent and combined associations of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) with depressive symptoms among Japanese adults.

Method

An Internet-based survey collected data on depression levels (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale), self-reported time spent in PA and SB (Japanese short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire), and sociodemographic variables from 2,914 adults in 2009. Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the odds ratios (ORs) for being depressed (depression scores ≥16) according to independent PA levels (none, insufficient, sufficient), SB levels (low, moderate, high), and nine combinations of PA and SB categories.

Results

After adjusting for potential confounders, sufficient PA level was found to be related to lower risk of depressive symptoms independently (OR = 0.61), whereas no significant associations were observed between SB levels and depression. In the combined associations, adults in the sufficient PA/high SB (OR = 0.44), sufficient PA/moderate SB (OR = 0.56), and sufficient PA/low SB (OR = 0.57) categories were significantly less likely to have depressive symptoms in comparison with the no PA/high SB category.

Conclusion

Meeting physical activity recommendations is associated with a lower risk of depressive symptoms, regardless of time spent in total sedentary behavior. These results suggest that promoting physical activity may be an effective strategy against depressive symptoms among Japanese adults.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (No. 26242070) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the 29th Research Grant in Medical and Health Science of Meiji Yasuda Life Foundation of Health and Welfare.

Conflict of Interest Statement

Yung Liao, Ai Shibata, Kaori Ishii, and Koichiro Oka declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, National Taiwan Normal University, 162, Heping East Road Section 1, Taipei, Taiwan

    Yung Liao

  2. Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

    Ai Shibata

  3. Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan

    Kaori Ishii & Koichiro Oka

Authors
  1. Yung Liao
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  2. Ai Shibata
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  3. Kaori Ishii
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  4. Koichiro Oka
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Correspondence to Yung Liao.

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Liao, Y., Shibata, A., Ishii, K. et al. Independent and Combined Associations of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior with Depressive Symptoms Among Japanese Adults. Int.J. Behav. Med. 23, 402–409 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-015-9484-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-015-9484-0

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