Leisure-time physical activity and psychotropic medication: A prospective cohort study

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• 作者：Jouni Lahti ; Tea Lallukka ; Eero Lahelma ; Ossi Rahkonen
• 关键词：Physical activity ; Exercise ; Mental health ; Depression ; Anxiety
• 刊名：Preventive Medicine
• 出版年：2013
• 出版时间：September, 2013
• 年：2013
• 卷：57
• 期：3
• 页码：173-177
• 全文大小：178 K

文摘

Background

Physical inactivity is a major public health problem associated with an increased risk of mental health problems. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of leisure-time physical activity with subsequent psychotropic medication among middle-aged people employed at baseline.

Methods

Questionnaire survey data collected in 2000-02 among 40-60-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki (N = 8960) were linked with register data on prescribed psychotropic medication (74 % gave permission to linkage). The mean follow-up time was 4.2 years. The analysis included 5961 respondents (78 % women). The participants were classified into four groups according to physical activity recommendations. Cox regression analysis was used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) for the first psychotropic medication purchase.

Results

Leisure-time physical activity was associated with decreased risk of any psychotropic medication. After adjusting for prior psychotropic medication conditioning exercisers (HR = 0.65, 95 % CI, 0.53-0.80), the vigorously active (HR = 0.83, 95 % CI, 0.71-0.98) and the moderately active (HR = 0.85, 95 % CI, 0.74-0.97) all showed a reduced risk of medication compared with the inactive. The associations were similar for the two main groups of psychotropic medication: antidepressants as well as sedatives and sleep medication.

Conclusions

Leisure-time physical activity is potentially important for preventing mental health problems among the middle-aged.