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Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health

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Open Access 01-12-2020 | Mood Disorders | Research article

The importance of social factors in the association between physical activity and depression in children

Authors: May I. Conley, Isabella Hindley, Arielle Baskin-Sommers, Dylan G. Gee, B. J. Casey, Monica D. Rosenberg

Published in: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health | Issue 1/2020

Abstract

Background

Physical activity is associated with reduced depression in youth and adults. However, our understanding of how different aspects of youth activities—specifically, the degree to which they are social, team-oriented, and physical—relate to mental health in children is less clear.

Methods

Here we use a data-driven approach to characterize the degree to which physical and non-physical youth activities are social and team-oriented. We then examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and participation in different clusters of youth activities using mixed effect models and causal mediation analyses in 11,875 children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. We test our hypotheses in an original sample (n = 4520, NDA release 1.1) and replication sample of participants (n = 7355, NDA release 2.0.1).

Results

We show and replicate that social–physical activities are associated with lower depressive symptoms. Next, we demonstrate that social connections, measured by number of close friends, partially mediate the association between social–physical activities and lower depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

Our results provide a rubric for using data-driven techniques to investigate different aspects of youth activities and highlight the social dynamics of physical activities as a possible protective factor against depression in childhood.

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Title: The importance of social factors in the association between physical activity and depression in children
Authors: May I. Conley
Isabella Hindley
Arielle Baskin-Sommers
Dylan G. Gee
B. J. Casey
Monica D. Rosenberg
Publication date: 01-12-2020
Publisher: BioMed Central
Keywords: Mood Disorders
Affective Disorder
Published in: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health / Issue 1/2020
Electronic ISSN: 1753-2000
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-020-00335-5

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

The importance of social factors in the association between physical activity and depression in children

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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