Physical Activity and Depression among People Aging with Disabilities

Background: Relationships between physical activity (PA) and depression are understudied in people aging with disabilities. We examined this relationship among people with muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, post-polio syndrome, and spinal cord injury.

Methods: Participants (N = 1862; mean age = 56.13, 63.3% female, 54.9% completed college degree or higher, 93.8% white, 57.8% never married) completed measures of activity (International PA Questionnaire [IPAQ], Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire [GLTEQ]) and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]).

Results: After adjusting for demographics and disability type, IPAQ category was related to depression score (Mean PHQ-9: none = 6.8, low = 6.6, moderate = 5.7, high = 5.7; p < .02 overall test) with lower depression for moderate PA than no or low PA (p's < .01) groups. Similarly, GLTEQ category was significantly related to depression scores (Mean PHQ-9: none = 7.1, mild = 7.2, some = 6.3, moderate = 4.9, vigorous = 5.3; p < .001 overall test) with lower depression for: the vigorous compared to none, mild, or some PA categories; moderate compared to none, mild, or some PA categories; and some compared to none PA categories (all p's < .01). Patterns between PA and depression were similar when examining them separately for each disability type, with some attenuation in significance.

Conclusion: Although no causal inferences can be made, none or mild/low PA may represent a modifiable risk factor for depression in people aging with disabilities.