The association between medical fitness facility attendance and incident mental disorders.

Objective: This study examined the effects of medical fitness facility (MFF) attendance, a proxy for exercise, on the incidence of mental disorders.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study linked members at two MFFs in Winnipeg, Canada, to health administrative databases held at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy population research data repository. Adults aged ≥ 18 years were assigned an index date at MFF membership enrollment between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2015, and matched to controls based on propensity score weighting. Cox proportional hazards models generated hazard ratios (HR) comparing the MFF group to controls on incident mental disorders (mood and anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, dementia, personality disorders, schizophrenia, and psychotic disorders).

Results: There were 15,407 MFF members and 507,400 controls. Attendance at a MFF was associated with a reduced hazards risk of incident substance use disorders (HR = 0.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.62-0.67), psychotic disorders (HR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.60-0.79), personality disorders (HR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.50-0.78), schizophrenia (HR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.52-0.93), and dementia (HR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.64-0.75).

Conclusion: Attending a medical fitness facility was associated with a reduced risk of incident mental disorders. Further research in MFFs as preventive initiatives for mental illness is warranted.