Sitting for long periods is associated with an increased risk of depression in adolescents, the John Tung Foundation said yesterday, citing a study published last month in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry.
Researchers Aaron Kandola, Gemma Lewis, David Osborn, Brendon Stubbs and Joseph Hayes examined data from 4,257 adolescents who were part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, also known as the Children of the 90s study, the foundation said.
The participants had worn accelerometers at the ages of 12, 14 and 16 to record their movements for at least 10 hours over three days, it said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
The measurements were used to determine whether a child was engaging in light physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity or was sedentary, it said.
Two questionnaires — the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised and the Moods and Feelings Questionnaire — were also used to assess symptoms of depression in the participants, it added.
The researchers found that an increase of 60 minutes of sedentary behavior per day at ages 12, 14 and 16 was associated with a higher depression score at the age of 18, while an increase of 60 minutes of light activity per day was associated with a lower depression score.
The study showed that overall, total physical activity decreased between the ages of 12 and 16, the foundation said.
While the need for young people to exercise is often emphasized, the importance of light physical activity should not be overlooked, foundation mental health center director Yeh Ya-hsing (葉雅馨) said.
Light physical activity can reduce the amount of time spent sitting, she said, adding that examples of light activity includes using a computer while standing and getting up for a drink.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, avoiding travel might be a better option during the Children’s Day and Tomb Sweeping Day holiday from Thursday to Sunday, the foundation said.
At the same time, staying indoors might mean more time spent by children on the Internet or playing video games, it said, urging people to stay active.
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