Sedentary teenagers ‘at greater risk of depression in adulthood’

ADOLESCENTS WHO sit for much of the day have a greater risk of depression by the time they reach adulthood, a UK study has found.

Growing numbers of young people with depression and increased time spent sedentary could be two linked trends, researchers at University College London (UCL) believe. They found that those who did an additional hour of light activity each day, such as walking or chores, saw a reduction in depressive symptoms when they reached 18.

They analysed data on 4,257 adolescents, who were taking part in the University of Bristol’s Children of the 90s cohort study. The participants wore devices to track their movement at ages 12, 14 and 16. These devices showed whether the child was sedentary, engaging in light activity such as playing an instrument or moderate to physical activity such as running.

They also answered a questionnaire which measured depressive symptoms such as low mood, loss of pleasure and poor concentration.

Lead author and UCL Psychiatry PhD student Aaron Kandola said: “Our findings show that young people who are inactive for large proportions of the day throughout adolescence face a greater risk of depression by age 18.

“We found that it’s not just more intense forms of activity that are good for our mental health, but any degree of physical activity that can reduce the time we spend sitting down is likely to be beneficial.

“We should be encouraging people of all ages to move more, and to sit less, as it’s good for both our physical and mental health.”

The authors say replacing sedentary behaviour with light activity could be an important public health intervention to reduce cases of depression.

The study’s senior author, Dr Joseph Hayes, from Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Schools could integrate light activity into their pupils’ days, such as with standing or active lessons.”