The Relationship Between Depression and Occupational, Household, and Leisure-Time Physical Activity

Abstract

This study examined whether the negative correlation between exercise and depression also exists for other types of physical activity, such as occupational and household physical activity. Participants numbered 528 (285 men, 243 women) between the ages of 20 and 70 years were included in the study. Data on leisure, occupational, and household physical activity were collected over the course of one year using 24-hr telephone recalls, as well as data on depression as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck & Steer, 1987). Leisure-time physical activity was predictive of lower depression scores in women, whereas occupational and household physical activity was not predictive of depression scores for either men or women. In women, high intensity leisure-time physical activity was more predictive of depression scores than was low intensity leisure-time physical activity. Mental health effects of exercise may be specific to the characteristics of the exercise activity itself, rather than mere physiological activation. Implications for future research are discussed.