Active Commuting and Depression Symptoms in Adults: A Systematic Review.

Adilson Marques,Diego Gomez-Baya,Élvio Rubio Gouveira,Duarte Henriques-Neto,Diana Frasquilho,Miguel Peralta

doi:10.3390/ijerph17031041

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) is suggested to have a protective effect against depression. One way of engaging in PA is through active commuting. This review summarises the literature regarding the relationship between active commuting and depression among adults and older adults. A systematic review of studies published up to December 2019, performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, was conducted using three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science). A total of seven articles were identified as relevant. The results from these studies were inconsistent. Only two presented a significant relationship between active commuting and depression symptoms. In those two studies, switching to more active modes of travel and walking long distances were negatively related to the likelihood of developing new depressive symptoms. In the other five studies, no significant association between active travel or active commuting and depression was found. The relationship between active commuting and depression symptoms in adults is not clear. More studies on this topic are necessary in order to understand if active commuting can be used as a public health strategy to tackle mental health issues such as depression.

Highlights

Depression is a mental health problem that affects more than 300 million adults worldwide [1].The prevalence of depression has been rising globally, and it was projected to be the second-largest cause for the burden of disease by 2020 [2]
Articles that presented a relationship between active travel and active commuting and depression symptoms published in peer-reviewed journals up to December 2019 were eligible for inclusion
The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of depressive symptoms in the highest tertile of leisure-time physical activity was 50% lower (OR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.26–0.97) than those in the lowest tertile

Summary

Introduction

Depression is a mental health problem that affects more than 300 million adults worldwide [1]. The prevalence of depression has been rising globally, and it was projected to be the second-largest cause for the burden of disease by 2020 [2]. Depression is already the greatest non-communicable disease contributing to the loss of health [1], due to its association with comorbidities [3], risk of suicide [4], and premature mortality [5]. Most cases of depression are treated using pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy [6,7]. Both types of therapies are expensive and increase health costs for health care systems [8]. Physical activity (PA) is suggested to have a protective effect against depression and a positive effect on the treatment of depression in non-clinical and clinical populations, regardless of sex and

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