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Associations of Physical Activity Levels With Depressive Symptoms Among Patients With Radiographic Axial
Xinyue Yin1, Shuhan Zhao2, Yuanzhi Peng3
1X. Yin, MPH, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China.
Objective:
This study aimed to examine the associations between physical activity (PA) levels and depressive symptoms in patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA).
Methods:
We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of patients with r-axSpA identified from the UK Biobank. Total PA (TPA) was assessed using a modified version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF), and leisure-time PA (LTPA) was derived from self-reported frequency and duration of 5 leisure activities during the preceding 4 weeks. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between PA levels and depressive symptoms.
Results:
Among 1542 patients with r-axSpA, those engaging in moderate-level PA had the lowest prevalence of depressive symptoms. After full adjustment, moderate-level TPA was associated with lower odds of depressive symptoms compared with low-level TPA (odds ratio [OR] 0.55, 95% CI 0.36-0.82), whereas the association with high-level TPA was not statistically significant (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.39-1.01). Moderate-level LTPA was also associated with lower odds of depressive symptoms (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.34-0.996), whereas low- and high-level LTPA showed no significant associations after full adjustment.
Conclusion:
Moderate-level PA was associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with r-axSpA, whereas associations for high-level PA were less consistent. Our findings suggest that PA levels may be an important correlate of depressive symptoms in patients with r-axSpA, warranting confirmation in longitudinal studies.