Sedentary Behavior Linked to Increased Risk for Depression in Older Adults

A study in the Journal of Affective Disorders associated sedentary behavior with depression among people aged 70 years, with longer daily periods of inactivity correlating with higher depression risk, reports Neurology Advisor . The researchers studied 3,633 Swedish participants who wore an accelerometer at home for a week after their initial visits to measure sedentary behavior and physical activity. The risk for depression was greater among individuals with a longer total sedentary time, with each 1 percent boost in sedentary time linked to a 3 percent increase in risk for depression. Risk also was greater among participants with longer average length of sedentary bouts, in which each 60-second average increase in the bout length was associated with a 12 percent higher risk for depression. The researchers concluded that sedentary behavior "is a potential risk factor for depression among older adults," and added that physicians treating depressed seniors should consider this association in developing future recommendations.