Association Between Physical Activity And Depressive Symptoms In Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional And Replication Study From ELSI-Brazil

Abstract

Background: Depression is a prevalent and debilitating mental health condition that disproportionately affects older adults. Physical activity (PA) has been shown to have a protective effect against depression in various populations, including older adults. However, the strength and mechanisms of this association remain unclear. Objective: This study aimed to replicate and extend the findings of Rothon et al. (2010) by investigating the association between physical activity and depressive symptoms in a larger sample of older adults from the Brazilian longitudinal study of aging (ELSI). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from the second wave (2019-2021) of the ELSI-Brazil, a population-based study of individuals aged 50+. Self-reported physical activity levels and depressive symptoms (assessed through questionnaires (CES-D scores) and physician diagnoses) were evaluated in 6,974 participants. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, multivariate logistic regression adjusted for confounders, assessment of model fit, and sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of our findings. Results: Weekly physical activity was linked to lower diagnosed depression risk (OR=0.61) and appeared robust to confounding. Interestingly, it was not linked to daily depressive symptoms (CES-D scores). Sleep problems, pain, and race (diagnosed depression) were risk factors—social life and having a partner protected against depressive symptoms (CES-D scores). Conclusions: Our findings support prior research suggesting a link between PA and lower depression risk in older adults. The cross-sectional design limits causal inferences and the possibility of residual confounding. Future longitudinal studies are needed to explore causality and mechanisms.