Abstract

Background

Due to rapid urbanization, there is a need to better understand the relative roles of residential environment and physical activity in depression. We aimed to investigate whether neighbourhood characteristics are related to the presence of depressive symptoms and whether the association is modified by physical activity.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used the 46-year-old follow-up data (n = 5489) from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. Data on depressive symptoms, measured by Beck Depression Inventory-II, and self-reported and accelerometer-measured physical activity were included. Neighbourhood characteristics, population density, distance to the closest grocery store, bus stops and cycle/pedestrian paths, distance to the nearest parks and forests, residential greenness and level of urbanicity were calculated using Geographic Information System methods based on participants’ home coordinates.

Results

According to ordinal logistic regression analyses adjusted for physical activity at different intensities and individual covariates, living in a neighbourhood with higher population density and urbanicity level were associated with a higher risk of experiencing more severe depressive symptoms. Higher residential greenness was associated with a lower risk of experiencing more severe depressive symptoms after adjustment for self-reported light and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, accelerometer-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and individual covariates. Both higher self-reported and accelerometer-measured physical activity were independently associated with a lower risk of more severe depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

Both residential environment and physical activity behaviour play an important role in depressive symptoms; however, further research among populations of different ages is required. Our findings can be utilized when designing interventions for the prevention of depression.

Details

Title
Associations between neighbourhood characteristics, physical activity and depressive symptoms: the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 Study
Author
Rautio, Nina 1 ; Seppänen, Marjo 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Timonen, Markku 1 ; Puhakka, Soile 1 ; Kärmeniemi, Mikko 1 ; Miettunen, Jouko 1 ; Lankila, Tiina 2 ; Farrahi, Vahid 3 ; Niemelä, Maisa 4 ; Korpelainen, Raija 1 

 Research Unit of Population Health, University of Oulu , Oulu, Finland 
 Department of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Oulu Deaconess Institute Foundation sr , Oulu, Finland 
 Research Unit of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Oulu , Oulu, Finland 
 Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu , Oulu, Finland 
Pages
114-120
Publication year
2024
Publication date
Feb 2024
Publisher
Oxford University Press
ISSN
11011262
e-ISSN
1464-360X
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3192270867
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.