The relationship between physical and sedentary activity on the mental health outcomes of children and youth in the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth

Abstract

Introduction: Between 0.8 and 4.6% of Canadians have had a mood disorder, including depression, in the past year. A growing body of research is beginning to explore the relationship between depression and physical and sedentary activity. As physical activity is a low-cost, easily modifiable risk factor for many diseases including diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, a demonstrated association with physical activity could have important health and policy implications Objective: To investigate if there exists a cross-sectional association between physical activity, sedentary activity, and depression in the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY). Methods: 9,702 respondents aged 14-15 from each cycle of the NLSCY with complete Ontario Child Study (OCS) emotional disorder scores were selected and stacked for a single