The effect of replacing sedentary behaviour with different intensities of physical activity on depression: A meta-analysis of isotemporal substitution studies

IF 2.3 3区医学 Q2 PSYCHIATRY

Mental Health and Physical Activity Pub Date : 2025-03-01 DOI:10.1016/j.mhpa.2025.100677

Xiaojun Liu , Zhongyan Du , Lina Wang , Jiaqi Tian , Ling Zhang , Yuanyuan Li

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective

Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep are modifiable risk factors associated with depressive symptoms, but there are conflicting findings regarding their relationship. Some studies reported that increased physical activity significantly reduces depressive symptoms, while others suggested that changes in sedentary behaviour or sleep have a more significant effect on depressive symptoms. In addition, many individual studies have ignored the dependencies between these behaviours. Studies have explored the effects of replacing sedentary behaviour with physical activity on depression, but the results remain inconclusive. Therefore, we aimed to summarize the evidence from studies that have used isotemporal substitution models to explore the effects of reallocating sedentary time to different activity intensities on adults with depression.

Methods

From inception to July 2024, a systematic search of Chinese and English databases was conducted to look for observational studies reporting the effects of replacing sedentary behaviours with light and/or moderate to vigorous physical activity, as well as sleep on depression. Random effects meta-analyses were performed to summarize the estimated odds ratios (ORs) and regression coefficients (β) and the corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CIs). The OR reflects the effect of the substitution effect on the risk of depression, while the β reflects the effect on the level of depression. Subgroup analyses were also performed to explore potential moderators of heterogeneity. Study quality was assessed via the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Agency for Health care Research and Quality evaluation criteria.

Results

Seventeen studies with 136,270 participants met the inclusion criteria. Pooled analyses revealed that replacing sedentary time with LPA was not significantly associated with depression in either cross-sectional (OR = 0.93, 95 % CI: 0.77–1.13) or prospective cohort studies (OR = 0.99, 95 % CI: 0.93–1.05). Reallocating sedentary time to patients' self-reported duration of sleep was associated with a reduction in depression (OR = 0.84, 95 %CI: 0.74–0.96). An accelerometer was used to measure physical activity, and replacing sedentary time with MVPA was cross-sectionally associated with depression (OR = 0.79, 95 % CI: 0.69–0.91), but no longitudinal association was found.

Conclusion

Replacing sedentary behaviours with moderate to vigorous physical activity and sleep may reduce the odds ratio of depression, but more research is needed to demonstrate the role of light-intensity physical activity on depression. Exercise guidelines and effective strategies to prevent depression must be developed to integrate the interplay of activity behaviours and provide targeted recommendations for time reallocation.

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来源期刊

Mental Health and Physical Activity PSYCHIATRY-

CiteScore

6.70

自引率

6.40%

发文量

审稿时长

32 days

期刊介绍： The aims of Mental Health and Physical Activity will be: (1) to foster the inter-disciplinary development and understanding of the mental health and physical activity field; (2) to develop research designs and methods to advance our understanding; (3) to promote the publication of high quality research on the effects of physical activity (interventions and a single session) on a wide range of dimensions of mental health and psychological well-being (eg, depression, anxiety and stress responses, mood, cognitive functioning and neurological disorders, such as dementia, self-esteem and related constructs, psychological aspects of quality of life among people with physical and mental illness, sleep, addictive disorders, eating disorders), from both efficacy and effectiveness trials;