Combined healthy lifestyles and risk of depressive symptoms: A baseline survey in China
There is limited evidence regarding the relationship between a combination of healthy lifestyle factors and a reduced risk of depressive symptoms among the Chinese population. The purpose of this study by Qie et al. (2024) was to investigate the relationship between a number of healthy lifestyle characteristics and the likelihood of developing depressive symptoms. A baseline survey was conducted from July 2021 to December 2023, involving 53,642 Chinese adults from the general population. Six parameters were used to construct a healthy lifestyle score: body mass index, food, sleep duration, alcohol intake, smoking status, and physical activity. A 20% decreased chance of experiencing depressed symptoms was associated with every point rise in the healthy lifestyle score, according to the results of the analysis. Compared to individuals with two or fewer healthy lifestyle factors, those with all six healthy lifestyle factors had a 58% lower risk of depressive symptoms. The negative association between the healthy lifestyle score and depressive symptoms was stronger among women, individuals with higher education, and urban residents. This significant inverse relationship remained for individuals with varying levels of depressive symptoms. The authors note, however, that causality cannot be determined due to the study’s cross-sectional design, and highlight that this study has found that adherence to healthy lifestyle factors is associated with a reduced risk of depressive symptoms in Chinese adults. The relationship was influenced by gender, education, and urbanization, and further research, particularly interventional studies, is needed to confirm these findings. [NPID: Baseline survey, Chinese adults, depressive symptoms, healthy lifestyle score]
Year: 2024
