Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 7, 2026
A Method for Quantifying Upper Limb Performance in Daily Life Using Accelerometers
Published on: April 21, 2017
Association of accelerometer-measured step count and intensity with mental health: A prospective cohort study
Jing Du1, Jing Wang1, Liqing Zhang1
1Center for Sleep and Circadian Medicine, The Affiliated Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, Guangdong, China; Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, Guangdong, China.
Background:
Mental disorders have become a global health challenge particularly among ageing populations, while physical activity holds substantial promise as an accessible and non-pharmacological intervention. Tracking daily steps is a simple and popular way of physical activity, but its impact on mental health remains unclear. This study aims to examine the association between accelerometer-measured step count and intensity with the risk of multiple mental disorders in the ageing adults.
Methods:
This prospective cohort study included 83,578 middle-aged and elderly participants from the UK Biobank, with a median follow-up of 6.94 years. Step count and intensity were measured using accelerometers. Mental disorder incidence was determined through hospital records and death registries, encompassing depressive disorders, sleep disorders, dementia, and eight other conditions.
Results:
An inverse dose-response relationship was observed between daily step count and intensity with the risk of mental disorders. Risk reduction plateaued at approximately 10,000, 4800, and 6500 steps for total, purposeful, and incidental steps, respectively. Higher-intensity steps provided additional benefits when sufficient step counts were achieved. Mediation analyses, incorporating physical, behavioral, neuroimaging (8.0 % of all indirect effects, p = 0.037), and blood profile (20.7 %, p = 0.003) and multi-omic biomarkers (blood proteins, 26.1 %, p < 0.001; NMR metabolites, 8.6 %, p < 0.001), identified lipid metabolism, inflammation, and brain structural changes as key mechanisms underlying the protective effects of daily steps on mental health.
Conclusion:
These findings suggest that setting daily step goals could be a promising public health strategy for promotion of mental health especially in the ageing population.
