Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 4/2018

01-04-2018 | Original Paper

The association between physical activity and depression among individuals residing in Brazil

Authors: Gisele Dias de Oliveira, S. Cristina Oancea, Luciana B. Nucci, Nancy Vogeltanz-Holm

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 4/2018

Login to get access

Abstract

Purpose

There is very limited literature investigating the association between physical activity (PA) and depression in South American countries such as Brazil. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the prevalence of depression and its association with PA in a very large, representative sample of young adults (ages 18–39 years) (YA), middle-aged adults (ages 40–59 years) (MAA) and older adults (ages ≥ 60 years) (OA) residing in Brazil.

Methods

The sample for this cross-sectional study was based on the Brazilian National Health Survey conducted in 2013. The Personal Health Questionnaire depression scale (PHQ-8) was applied to measure current (past 2 weeks) depression as the outcome of interest, and the exposure was self-reported PA for leisure. Multivariable weighted logistic regression models were conducted to investigate the association between PA and depression while adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and number of health comorbidities among YA, MAA and OA.

Results

The final study sample size was 59,399 (33,480 females; 25,919 males). After adjusting for the covariates of interest, the lack of PA for leisure was associated with a significant increase in depression only among males (YA: OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.02–2.06; MAA: OR 2.38, 95% CI 1.40–4.03; OA: OR 5.35, 95% CI 2.14–13.37). There was no significant association between PA for leisure and depression among females of all age groups.

Conclusions

Although PA for leisure is not associated with depression among Brazilian females, the obtained results suggest that this association is significant among Brazilian males, who may be able to benefit from PA for leisure to reduce their symptoms of depression.
Literature
1.
Nezu AM (2000) Practitioner’s guide to empirically-based measures of depression. Springer, Berlin
2.
Anderson J, Michalak E, Lam R (2002) Depression in primary care: tools for screening, diagnosis, and measuring response to treatment. Br Columbia Med J 44(8):415–419
3.
4.
Weissman MM, Bland RC, Canino GJ, Faravelli C, Greenwald S, Hwu HG et al (1996) Cross-national epidemiology of major depression and bipolar disorder. JAMA 276(4):293–299CrossRefPubMed
5.
Bromet E, Andrade LH, Hwang I, Sampson NA, Alonso J, de Girolamo G et al (2011) Cross-national epidemiology of DSM-IV major depressive episode. BMC Med 9:90CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
6.
Reeves WC, Strine TW, Pratt LA, Thompson W, Ahluwalia I, Dhingra SS et al (2011) Mental illness surveillance among adults in the United States. MMWR Suppl 60(3):1–29PubMed
7.
Lopes CS, Hellwig N, e Silva GA, Menezes PR (2016) Inequities in access to depression treatment: results of the Brazilian National Health Survey—PNS. Int J Equity Health 15(1):154CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
8.
Taylor HL, Jacobs DR, Schucker B, Knudsen J, Leon AS, Debacker G (1978) A questionnaire for the assessment of leisure time physical activities. J Chronic Dis 31(12):741–755CrossRefPubMed
9.
Paffenbarger RS Jr, Wing AL, Hyde RT (1978) Physical activity as an index of heart attack risk in college alumni. Am J Epidemiol 108(3):161–175CrossRefPubMed
10.
Montoye HJ (1974) Physical activity and health: an epidemiologic study of an entire community. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs
11.
Caspersen CJ, Powell KE, Christenson GM (1985) Physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness: definitions and distinctions for health-related research. Public Health Rep 100(2):126–131PubMedPubMedCentral
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Szwarcwald CL, Damacena GN, de Souza Junior PR, de Almeida Wda S, de Lima LT, Malta DC et al (2015) Determinants of self-rated health and the influence of healthy behaviors: results from the National Health Survey, 2013. Rev Bras Epidemiol 18(Suppl 2):33–44CrossRefPubMed
18.
Morgan WP (1969) A pilot investigation of physical working capacity in depressed and nondepressed psychiatric males. Res Q 40(4):859–861PubMed
19.
Mammen G, Faulkner G (2013) Physical activity and the prevention of depression: a systematic review of prospective studies. Am J Prev Med 45(5):649–657CrossRefPubMed
20.
Stubbs B, Koyanagi A, Schuch FB, Firth J, Rosenbaum S, Veronese N et al (2016) Physical activity and depression: a large cross-sectional, population-based study across 36 low- and middle-income countries. Acta Psychiatr Scand 134(6):546–556CrossRefPubMed
21.
Schuch FB, Vancampfort D, Richards J, Rosenbaum S, Ward PB, Stubbs B (2016) Exercise as a treatment for depression: a meta-analysis adjusting for publication bias. J Psychiatr Res 77:42–51CrossRefPubMed
22.
Schuch FB, Vancampfort D, Rosenbaum S, Richards J, Ward PB, Veronese N et al (2016) Exercise for depression in older adults: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials adjusting for publication bias. Rev Bras Psiquiatr 38(3):247–254CrossRefPubMed
23.
24.
Lopez AD, Mathers CD, Ezzati M, Jamison DT, Murray CJ (2006) Global and regional burden of disease and risk factors, 2001: systematic analysis of population health data. Lancet 367(9524):1747–1757CrossRefPubMed
25.
Murray CJ, Lopez AD (1997) Global mortality, disability, and the contribution of risk factors: global burden of disease study. Lancet 349(9063):1436–1442CrossRefPubMed
26.
Robertson R, Robertson A, Jepson R, Maxwell M (2012) Walking for depression or depressive symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Mental Health Phys Act 5(1):66–75CrossRef
27.
28.
Vancampfort D, Stubbs B, Mitchell AJ, De Hert M, Wampers M, Ward PB et al (2015) Risk of metabolic syndrome and its components in people with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. World Psychiatry 14(3):339–347CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
29.
Vancampfort D, Correll CU, Galling B, Probst M, De Hert M, Ward PB et al (2016) Diabetes mellitus in people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder: a systematic review and large scale meta-analysis. World Psychiatry 15(2):166–174CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
30.
31.
Cooney GM, Dwan K, Greig CA, Lawlor DA, Rimer J, Waugh FR et al (2013) Exercise for depression. Cochrane Database Syst Rev (9):CD004366
32.
Barcelos-Ferreira R, Nakano EY, Steffens DC, Bottino CM (2013) Quality of life and physical activity associated to lower prevalence of depression in community-dwelling elderly subjects from Sao Paulo. J Affect Disord 150(2):616–622CrossRefPubMed
33.
Reichert CL, Diogo CL, Vieira JL, Dalacorte RR (2011) Physical activity and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling elders from southern Brazil. Rev Bras Psiquiatr 33(2):165–170CrossRefPubMed
34.
De Mello MT, Lemos Vde A, Antunes HK, Bittencourt L, Santos-Silva R, Tufik S (2013) Relationship between physical activity and depression and anxiety symptoms: a population study. J Affect Disord 149(1–3):241–246CrossRefPubMed
35.
Kessler RC, Birnbaum HG, Shahly V, Bromet E, Hwang I, McLaughlin KA et al (2010) Age differences in the prevalence and co-morbidity of DSM-IV major depressive episodes: results from the WHO World Mental Health Survey Initiative. Depress Anxiety 27(4):351–364CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
36.
37.
Szwarcwald CL, Malta DC, Pereira CA, Vieira MLFP, Conde WL, Souza Júnior PRBd et al (2014) Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde no Brasil: concepção e metodologia de aplicação. Ciência Saúde Coletiva 19(2):333–342CrossRefPubMed
38.
de Jesus Silva MM, Peres Rocha Carvalho Leite E, Alves Nogueira D, Clapis MJ (2016) Depression in pregnancy. Prevalence and associated factors. Invest Educ Enferm 34(2):342–350PubMed
39.
Silva RA, Jansen K, Souza LD, Moraes IG, Tomasi E, Silva Gdel G et al (2010) Depression during pregnancy in the Brazilian public health care system. Rev Bras Psiquiatr 32(2):139–144CrossRefPubMed
40.
Rich-Edwards JW, Mohllajee AP, Kleinman K, Hacker MR, Majzoub J, Wright RJ et al (2008) Elevated midpregnancy corticotropin-releasing hormone is associated with prenatal, but not postpartum, maternal depression. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 93(5):1946–1951CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
41.
Santos IS, Tavares BF, Munhoz TN, Almeida LS, Silva NT, Tams BD et al (2013) Sensitivity and specificity of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) among adults from the general population. Cad Saude Publica 29(8):1533–1543CrossRefPubMed
42.
Kroenke K, Strine TW, Spitzer RL, Williams JB, Berry JT, Mokdad AH (2009) The PHQ-8 as a measure of current depression in the general population. J Affect Disord 114(1–3):163–173CrossRefPubMed
43.
Moreira AD, Claro RM, Felisbino-Mendes MS, Velasquez-Melendez G (2017) Validity and reliability of a telephone survey of physical activity in Brazil. Rev Bras Epidemiol 20(1):136–146CrossRefPubMed
44.
Silva MT, Galvao TF, Martins SS, Pereira MG (2014) Prevalence of depression morbidity among Brazilian adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Rev Bras Psiquiatr 36(3):262–270CrossRefPubMed
45.
Stopa SR, Malta DC, de Oliveira MM, Lopes Cde S, Menezes PR, Kinoshita RT (2015) Prevalence of self-reported depression in Brazil: 2013 National Health Survey results. Rev Bras Epidemiol 18(Suppl 2):170–180CrossRefPubMed
46.
Almeida-Filho N, Lessa I, Magalhaes L, Araujo MJ, Aquino E, James SA et al (2004) Social inequality and depressive disorders in Bahia, Brazil: interactions of gender, ethnicity, and social class. Soc Sci Med 59(7):1339–1353CrossRefPubMed
47.
Moreira V (2007) Critical phenomenology of depression in Brazil, Chile and the United States. J Lat Am Fund Psychopathol Online 7(2):193–218
48.
Fleck MP, Lima AF, Louzada S, Schestasky G, Henriques A, Borges VR et al (2002) Association of depressive symptoms and social functioning in primary care service, Brazil. Rev Saude Publica 36(4):431–438CrossRefPubMed
49.
Azevedo MR, Araujo CL, Reichert FF, Siqueira FV, da Silva MC, Hallal PC (2007) Gender differences in leisure-time physical activity. Int J Public Health 52(1):8–15CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
50.
Bauman AE, Reis RS, Sallis JF, Wells JC, Loos RJ, Martin BW et al (2012) Correlates of physical activity: why are some people physically active and others not? Lancet 380(9838):258–271CrossRefPubMed
51.
Moussavi S, Chatterji S, Verdes E, Tandon A, Patel V, Ustun B (2007) Depression, chronic diseases, and decrements in health: results from the World Health Surveys. Lancet 370(9590):851–858CrossRefPubMed
52.
Kimbro LB, Mangione CM, Steers WN, Duru OK, McEwen L, Karter A et al (2014) Depression and all-cause mortality in persons with diabetes mellitus: are older adults at higher risk? Results from the translating research into action for diabetes study. J Am Geriatr Soc 62(6):1017–1022CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
53.
Chauvet-Gelinier JC, Trojak B, Verges-Patois B, Cottin Y, Bonin B (2013) Review on depression and coronary heart disease. Arch Cardiovasc Dis 106(2):103–110CrossRefPubMed
54.
55.
Murphy LB, Sacks JJ, Brady TJ, Hootman JM, Chapman DP (2012) Anxiety and depression among US adults with arthritis: prevalence and correlates. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) 64(7):968–976
56.
Zhang MW, Ho RC, Cheung MW, Fu E, Mak A (2011) Prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 33(3):217–223CrossRefPubMed
57.
58.
59.
Coelho CL, Crippa JA, Santos JL, Pinsky I, Zaleski M, Caetano R et al (2013) Higher prevalence of major depressive symptoms in Brazilians aged 14 and older. Rev Bras Psiquiatr 35(2):142–149CrossRefPubMed
60.
Munhoz TN, Nunes BP, Wehrmeister FC, Santos IS, Matijasevich A (2016) A nationwide population-based study of depression in Brazil. J Affect Disord 192:226–233CrossRefPubMed
61.
Pinheiro RS, Viacava F, Travassos C, Brito AdS (2002) Gênero, morbidade, acesso e utilização de serviços de saúde no Brasil. Ciência Saúde Coletiva 7(4):687–707CrossRef
62.
Wittayanukorn S, Qian J, Hansen RA (2014) Prevalence of depressive symptoms and predictors of treatment among U.S. adults from 2005 to 2010. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 36(3):330–336CrossRefPubMed
63.
64.
65.
Van Klaveren M, Tijdens K, Hughie-Williams M, Martin NR (2009) An overview of women’s work and employment in Brazil. AIAS Working Paper, Amsterdam, 09-83
66.
Miquilin Ide O, Marin-Leon L, Monteiro MI, Correa Filho HR (2013) Inequalities in health services access and use among formal, informal, and unemployed workers, based on data from the Brazilian National Household Sample Survey, 2008. Cad Saude Publica 29(7):1392–1406CrossRefPubMed
67.
Barrientos A, Møller V, Saboia J, Lloyd-Sherlock P, Mase J (2013) ‘Growing’ social protection in developing countries: lessons from Brazil and South Africa. Dev South Afr 30(1):54–68CrossRef
Metadata
Title
The association between physical activity and depression among individuals residing in Brazil
Authors
Gisele Dias de Oliveira
S. Cristina Oancea
Luciana B. Nucci
Nancy Vogeltanz-Holm
Publication date
01-04-2018
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 4/2018
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-017-1441-6

Other articles of this Issue 4/2018

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 4/2018 Go to the issue

Original Paper

Sexual orientation disparities in the co-occurrence of substance use and psychological distress: a national population-based study (2008–2015)

Original Paper

Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset of mental disorders in adults from the Argentinean Study of Mental Health Epidemiology

Original Paper

Prospective associations between recalled parental bonding and perinatal depression: a cohort study in urban and rural Turkey

Original Paper

What drives the relationship between combat and alcohol problems in soldiers? The roles of perception and marriage

Invited Review

Recent advances in the prevention of mental disorders

Original Paper

Gender differential in social and economic predictors of incident major depressive disorder in the Ibadan Study of Ageing