Weekend warrior physical activity pattern is associated with lower depression risk: Findings from NHANES 2007-2018

Rui Chen; Kai Wang; Qiutong Chen; Minzhe Zhang; Hongguang Yang; Minjie Zhang; Kaijie Qi; Miaobing Zheng; Yanchun Wang; Qiqiang He

doi:10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2023.07.006

Weekend warrior physical activity pattern is associated with lower depression risk: Findings from NHANES 2007-2018

Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2023 Sep-Oct:84:165-171. doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2023.07.006. Epub 2023 Jul 28.

Authors

Rui Chen¹, Kai Wang², Qiutong Chen³, Minzhe Zhang¹, Hongguang Yang¹, Minjie Zhang¹, Kaijie Qi¹, Miaobing Zheng⁴, Yanchun Wang⁵, Qiqiang He⁶

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
² Department of Public Health, Wuhan Fourth Hospital, Wuhan, China.
³ College of Language Intelligence, Sichuan International Studies University, Chongqing, China.
⁴ School of Nutrition and Exercise, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia.
⁵ Clinical College, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China. Electronic address: wyanchun@hbtcm.edu.cn.
⁶ School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. Electronic address: heqiqiang@whu.edu.cn.

PMID: 37535993
DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2023.07.006

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to explore the association between weekend warrior physical activity (PA) pattern and depression risk in American adults.

Methods: Data of adults (n = 21,125) from NHANES 2007-2018 were used. Adults were categorized into 4 PA patterns (inactive, insufficiently active, weekend warrior, and regularly active) by self-reported PA levels. Participant characteristics in different groups were tested using the Rao & Scott adjusted χ² test. Multivariate logistic regression models with adjustment for demographics data, behavioral factors and health condition were used to explore the association between PA patterns and depression risk. Finally, interaction analyses were conducted to test if the associations differ by gender, age, race, education level, income level and marital status.

Results: Multivariate logistic regression models showed that insufficiently active, weekend warrior and regularly active adults had 31% (OR: 0.69, 95%CI:0.54-0.88), 57% (OR: 0.43, 95%CI:0.25-0.74) and 54% (OR: 0.46, 95%CI:0.39-0.54) reduced depression risk when compared with inactive adults, respectively. When compared with regularly active adults, inactive (OR: 2.188, 95%CI:1.842-2.600) and insufficiently active (OR: 1.505, 95%CI:1.159-1.955) adults had elevated depression risk, but no significant difference was found between weekend warrior (OR: 0.949, 95%CI:0.538-1.675) and regularly active adults. Moreover, the associations did not differ by demographic variables.

Conclusions: This study showed that adults who engaged in either regularly active pattern or weekend warrior pattern, experienced lower risk of depression compared to inactive adults. Weekend warrior and regularly active patterns showed similar benefits for lowering depression risk in adults, encouraging adults to take up PA in limited sessions.

Keywords: American adults; Depression risk; NHANES; Physical activity patterns; Weekend warrior.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Depression* / epidemiology
Exercise*
Humans
Logistic Models
Nutrition Surveys
Sedentary Behavior