Lee Smith1, Joseph Firth2,3,4, Igor Grabovac5, Ai Koyanagi6,7, Nicola Veronese8, Brendon Stubbs9,10,11, Pinar Soysal12, Lin Yang13,14, Sarah E Jackson15. 1. The Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK. 2. NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia. 3. Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. 4. Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 5. Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 6. Research and Development Unit, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 7. Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain. 8. Neuroscience Institut, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Area della Ricerca di Padova, Padova, Italy. 9. Physiotherapy Department, South London and Maudsley National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, UK. 10. Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, UK. 11. Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, Positive Ageing Research Institute, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford, UK. 12. Department of Geriatric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey. 13. Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Albert Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 14. Departments of Oncology and Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 15. Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Low handgrip strength has been shown to be associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. One area of mental health that is understudied in relation to grip strength is chronic stress, which can exist independently to depression, or as a comorbidity or precursor to this condition. The present study examined cross-sectional associations between grip strength, an established marker of physical function, and (a) depressive symptoms and (b) chronic stress utilizing hair cortisol concentrations, while accounting for multiple pertinent confounding variables. METHOD: Data were used from wave 6 (2012/13) of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, a panel study of older (≥50 years) community-dwelling men and women. Grip strength was measured in kg using a hand-held dynamometer. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Hair cortisol concentrations (pg/mg) were determined from samples of scalp hair and log-transformed for analysis to correct skewness. Associations of grip strength with depressive symptoms and hair cortisol concentration were tested using linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, wealth, smoking status, physical activity, body mass index, limiting long-standing illness, arthritis, diabetes, and hair treatment. RESULTS: The sample comprised of 3741 participants (mean age 68.4 years, 66.4% female). After adjustment for age and sex, grip strength was significantly and negatively associated with both depressive symptoms (B = -0.038, SE = 0.004, P < 0.001) and hair cortisol (B = -0.003, SE = 0.001, P = 0.029). However, in the fully-adjusted models, both associations were attenuated and only the association with depressive symptoms remained statistically significant (B = -0.015, SE = 0.004, P < 0.001; hair cortisol B = -0.002, SE = 0.001, P = 0.088). CONCLUSION: In a large sample of older adults in England, grip strength was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Results were inconclusive regarding the association between grip strength and chronic stress. Further research examining the longitudinal relationships between muscular strength and specific aspects of mental health, while also exploring the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these associations, is warranted before recommendations for policy and practice can be made.
BACKGROUND: Low handgrip strength has been shown to be associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. One area of mental health that is understudied in relation to grip strength is chronic stress, which can exist independently to depression, or as a comorbidity or precursor to this condition. The present study examined cross-sectional associations between grip strength, an established marker of physical function, and (a) depressive symptoms and (b) chronic stress utilizing hair cortisol concentrations, while accounting for multiple pertinent confounding variables. METHOD: Data were used from wave 6 (2012/13) of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, a panel study of older (≥50 years) community-dwelling men and women. Grip strength was measured in kg using a hand-held dynamometer. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Hair cortisol concentrations (pg/mg) were determined from samples of scalp hair and log-transformed for analysis to correct skewness. Associations of grip strength with depressive symptoms and hair cortisol concentration were tested using linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, wealth, smoking status, physical activity, body mass index, limiting long-standing illness, arthritis, diabetes, and hair treatment. RESULTS: The sample comprised of 3741 participants (mean age 68.4 years, 66.4% female). After adjustment for age and sex, grip strength was significantly and negatively associated with both depressive symptoms (B = -0.038, SE = 0.004, P < 0.001) and hair cortisol (B = -0.003, SE = 0.001, P = 0.029). However, in the fully-adjusted models, both associations were attenuated and only the association with depressive symptoms remained statistically significant (B = -0.015, SE = 0.004, P < 0.001; hair cortisol B = -0.002, SE = 0.001, P = 0.088). CONCLUSION: In a large sample of older adults in England, grip strength was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Results were inconclusive regarding the association between grip strength and chronic stress. Further research examining the longitudinal relationships between muscular strength and specific aspects of mental health, while also exploring the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these associations, is warranted before recommendations for policy and practice can be made.
Authors: Alma Delia Genis-Mendoza; Ana Fresán; Thelma Beatriz González-Castro; Sherezada Pool-García; Carlos Alfonso Tovilla-Zárate; Rosa Giannina Castillo-Avila; Pedro Iván Arias-Vázquez; María Lilia López-Narváez; Humberto Nicolini Journal: Brain Sci Date: 2022-04-29
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