Mark A Tully1, Ilona McMullan2, Nicole E Blackburn3, Jason J Wilson2, Brendan Bunting4, Lee Smith5, Frank Kee6, Manuela Deidda7, Maria Giné-Garriga8,9, Laura Coll-Planas10, Dhayana Dallmeier11,12, Michael Denkinger11, Dietrich Rothenbacher13, Paolo Caserotti14. 1. School of Health Sciences, Institute of Mental Health Sciences, Ulster University, Newtownabbey, UK. 2. School of Health Sciences, Ulster University, Newtownabbey, UK. 3. School of Health Sciences, Institute of Nursing and Health Research, Centre for Health and Rehabilitation Technologies, Ulster University, Newtownabbey, UK. 4. School of Psychology, Ulster University, Newtownabbey, UK. 5. The Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK. 6. Centre for Public Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK. 7. Health Economics & Health Technology Assessment, Institute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK. 8. Department of Sport Sciences, Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sport Sciences Blanquerna, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain. 9. Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences Blanquerna, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain. 10. Fundació Salut i Envelliment, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 11. Geriatric Centre Ulm/Alb-Donau, AGAPLESION Bethesda Clinic Ulm, Geriatric Research Unit Ulm University, Ulm, Germany. 12. Dept. of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. 13. Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany. 14. Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Center for Active and Healthy Ageing (CAHA), University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is associated with improved mental health, but the evidence for the effect of reducing sedentary behavior (SB) or increasing light PA (LPA) in older adults is lacking. Using isotemporal substitution (IS) models, the aim of this paper was to investigate the effect of substituting SB with LPA or MVPA on associations with mental health in older adults. METHODS: Data from 1360 older adults (mean age 75.18 years) in four countries were utilized. PA and SB was measured using ActiGraph wGT3X-BT + accelerometers worn for 7 days. Self-rated mental health was measured using the Hospital and Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS). IS models estimated cross-sectional associations when 30 minutes of one behavior was substituted with another. Models were adjusted for age, sex, marital status, and educational attainment. RESULTS: Substituting 30 minutes of SB with LPA (β -.37; 95% CI -0.42, -0.32) or MVPA (β -.14; 95% CI -0.21, -0.07) and substituting LPA with MVPA (β -.11; 95% CI -0.18, -0.04) were associated with improvements in anxiety. However, substituting 30 minutes of SB with LPA (β .55; 95% CI 0.49, 0.62) was associated with increased depression. CONCLUSION: Replacing 30 minutes of SB with LPA or MVPA was associated with improved anxiety symptoms in older adults. Greater benefits were observed when shifting SB and LPA to MVPA.
INTRODUCTION: Regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is associated with improved mental health, but the evidence for the effect of reducing sedentary behavior (SB) or increasing light PA (LPA) in older adults is lacking. Using isotemporal substitution (IS) models, the aim of this paper was to investigate the effect of substituting SB with LPA or MVPA on associations with mental health in older adults. METHODS: Data from 1360 older adults (mean age 75.18 years) in four countries were utilized. PA and SB was measured using ActiGraph wGT3X-BT + accelerometers worn for 7 days. Self-rated mental health was measured using the Hospital and Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS). IS models estimated cross-sectional associations when 30 minutes of one behavior was substituted with another. Models were adjusted for age, sex, marital status, and educational attainment. RESULTS: Substituting 30 minutes of SB with LPA (β -.37; 95% CI -0.42, -0.32) or MVPA (β -.14; 95% CI -0.21, -0.07) and substituting LPA with MVPA (β -.11; 95% CI -0.18, -0.04) were associated with improvements in anxiety. However, substituting 30 minutes of SB with LPA (β .55; 95% CI 0.49, 0.62) was associated with increased depression. CONCLUSION: Replacing 30 minutes of SB with LPA or MVPA was associated with improved anxiety symptoms in older adults. Greater benefits were observed when shifting SB and LPA to MVPA.