Sedentary Behavior Linked to Increased Risk for Depression in Older Adults

A study in the Journal of Affective Disorders found an association between sedentary behavior and an elevated risk for depression among 70-year-old adults, reports Psychiatry Advisor . The researchers analyzed data from 3,633 Swedish participants aged 70 years, collected between 2012 and 2017. Subjects wore an accelerometer at home for a week after their initial visits to measure sedentary behavior and physical activity (PA). The investigators learned the risk for depression was higher among individuals with a longer total sedentary time, with each 1 percent increase in sedentary time associated with a 3 percent increase in risk for depression. The risk also was higher among those with longer average length of sedentary episodes, in which each minute-long average increase in duration was associated with a 12 percent greater risk for depression. The researchers concluded that sedentary behavior "is a potential risk factor for depression among older adults," and the findings were strengthened by the "adjustment for PA and the use of an objective measure in a large sample." The researchers also noted that "the association between sedentary behavior and depression may be important to consider in the development of future recommendations."