A Cross Sectional Examination of the Relation Between Depression and Frequency of Leisure Time Physical Exercise among the Elderly in Jinan, China

Shukang Wang, Wei Ma, Shu-Mei Wang and Xiangren Yi
Additional contact information
Shukang Wang: Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Shandong University, 44, Wenhuaxi Street, Jinan 250012, China
Wei Ma: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shandong University, 44, Wenhuaxi Street, Jinan 250012, China
Shu-Mei Wang: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shandong University, 44, Wenhuaxi Street, Jinan 250012, China
Xiangren Yi: Department of Sport and Health, the College of Physical Education, Shandong University, 17923, Jingshi Street, Jinan 250061, China

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 9, 1-12

Abstract: Depression has become a major global public health problem. Many studies have shown the positive effects of physical exercise on depression. However, few studies have examined the relationship between frequency of leisure time physical exercise and depression without considering the time and intensity of exercise among middle-aged and elderly people of urban communities in northern China. We conducted a cross-sectional survey that included 1604 participants among urban residents aged 50 years or older in China to evaluate how the frequency of physical exercise was related to depression. Our study showed that the prevalence of depression in the urban community of Jinan is 16.52%. For physical exercise, the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for 1~2 times per week, 3~4 times per week and ≥5 times per week were 1.137 (0.661, 1.953), 0.516 (0.304, 0.875) and 0.548 (0.392, 0.768) respectively, with adjustment for age, gender, marital status, BMI, hypertension, previously diagnosed type 2 diabetes, triglyceride, total cholesterol, soy food intake, milk food intake, vegetable and fruit intake and meat intake. We concluded that physically exercising three times a week is associated with a low prevalence of depression.

Keywords: China; physical exercise; depression; cross-sectional study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/9/2041/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/9/2041/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:9:p:2041-:d:170547

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().