Association between physical activity and depression in adult prescription opioid users: A cross-sectional analysis based on NHANES 2007-2018

Gang Li; Hongxiang Ji; Qiuxiang Jiang; Huijuan Cao; Zhibin Wang; Shanshan Liu

doi:10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2024.03.005

Association between physical activity and depression in adult prescription opioid users: A cross-sectional analysis based on NHANES 2007-2018

Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2024 Apr 1:89:1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2024.03.005. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Gang Li¹, Hongxiang Ji², Qiuxiang Jiang¹, Huijuan Cao¹, Zhibin Wang³, Shanshan Liu⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anesthesia, The Chenggong Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China.
² Department of General Surgery, The Chenggong Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China.
³ Medical Department, The Chenggong Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China. Electronic address: wangzhibin2277@163.com.
⁴ Department of Anesthesia, The Chenggong Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China. Electronic address: hanzhiluoluo@163.com.

PMID: 38579547
DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2024.03.005

Abstract

Objective: This study was designed to examine the association between physical activity (PA) and depression among adult prescription opioid users.

Method: Data of adults who recently took prescription opioids were collected from NHANES 2007-2018. Participants were divided into two groups according to whether PA in each domain was ≥600 MET-min/week. According to weekly activity frequency, recreational physical activity (RPA) was divided into inactivity, insufficient activity, weekend warrior (WW), and regular activity. PHQ-9 scores ≥10 were identified as depression.

Results: RPA of ≥600 MET-min/week was associated with a 40% (OR: 0.60, 95%CI: 0.38-0.96, P = 0.032) reduction in the risk of depression. Restricted Cubic Spline plots found a nonlinear dose-response relationship between RPA and depression (P = 0.045), and the turning point of depression risk was around 600 MET-min/week. There was no significant difference in the risk of depression between the WW and inactivity groups (OR: 0.65, 95%CI: 0.25-1.72, P = 0.382). The regular activity group had an 45% (OR: 0.55, 95%CI: 0.31-0.99, P = 0.046)lower risk for depression than the inactivity group.

Conclusion: Only regular RPA is associated with a reduced risk of depression, and RPA showed a nonlinear dose-response relationship. The antidepressant effect of the WW is not significant.

Keywords: Depression; NHANES; Physical activity; Prescription opioid; Weekend warrior.