Symptoms of depression are longitudinally associated with sedentary behaviors among young men but not among young women.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: A habitual sedentary lifestyle is associated with adverse health outcomes; however, the predictors of sedentary behaviors have not been sufficiently explored to inform the development and delivery of effective interventions to reduce sedentary behaviors. This study examined whether reports of symptoms of depression could predict weekly time spent in sedentary behaviors (i.e., television watching, computer use) 4years later. METHOD: Self-reported symptoms of depression were assessed at age 20years (2007-08), and television watching time and computer use were assessed at age 24years (2011-12) in 761 adults (45% men) participating in the Nicotine Dependence in Teens study. Data were analyzed using linear regression analysis, with separate models for men and women. RESULTS: After controlling for past sedentary behavior, symptoms of depression at age 20years predicted more computer use 4years later in men (R(2)=.21, β=.13, p<.05), but not in women. Symptoms of depression did not predict television watching. CONCLUSIONS: Results highlight the need to distinguish between types of sedentary behaviors as their predictors may differ. Further, they provide support for the hypothesis that psychological factors, in this case symptoms of depression, may relate to select sedentary behaviors in young men.