| Title: | Association of accelerometer-measured step count and intensity with mental health: A prospective cohort study |
| Journal: | Journal of Affective Disorders |
| Published: | 22 Dec 2025 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41443320/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.120980 |
Publication 17069
WARNING: the interactive features of this website use CSS3, which your browser does not support. To use the full features of this website, please update your browser.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Mental disorders have become a global health challenge particularly among ageing populations, while physical activity holds substantial promise as an accessible and non-pharmacological intervention. Tracking daily steps is a simple and popular way of physical activity, but its impact on mental health remains unclear. This study aims to examine the association between accelerometer-measured step count and intensity with the risk of multiple mental disorders in the ageing adults.</p>
METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 83,578 middle-aged and elderly participants from the UK Biobank, with a median follow-up of 6.94 years. Step count and intensity were measured using accelerometers. Mental disorder incidence was determined through hospital records and death registries, encompassing depressive disorders, sleep disorders, dementia, and eight other conditions.</p>
RESULTS: An inverse dose-response relationship was observed between daily step count and intensity with the risk of mental disorders. Risk reduction plateaued at approximately 10,000, 4800, and 6500 steps for total, purposeful, and incidental steps, respectively. Higher-intensity steps provided additional benefits when sufficient step counts were achieved. Mediation analyses, incorporating physical, behavioral, neuroimaging (8.0 % of all indirect effects, p = 0.037), and blood profile (20.7 %, p = 0.003) and multi-omic biomarkers (blood proteins, 26.1 %, p < 0.001; NMR metabolites, 8.6 %, p < 0.001), identified lipid metabolism, inflammation, and brain structural changes as key mechanisms underlying the protective effects of daily steps on mental health.</p>
CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that setting daily step goals could be a promising public health strategy for promotion of mental health especially in the ageing population.</p>
14 Authors
- Jing Du
- Jing Wang
- Liqing Zhang
- Mingyang Liu
- Yu Nie
- Weijie Zhang
- Yu He
- Qiqi Wu
- Yaping Liu
- Sizhi Ai
- Hongliang Feng
- Yuping Ning
- Yannis Yan Liang
- Jihui Zhang
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 93604 | Life-course risk and protective factors associated with complex diseases |
Enabling scientific discoveries that improve human health