Device-measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour in relation to mental wellbeing: An analysis of the 1970 British cohort study

Nipuna Senaratne; Brendon Stubbs; André O. Werneck; Emmanuel Stamatakis; Mark Hamer

doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106434

Device-measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour in relation to mental wellbeing: An analysis of the 1970 British cohort study

Nipuna Senaratne^*, Brendon Stubbs, André O. Werneck, Emmanuel Stamatakis, Mark Hamer

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Although physical activity and sedentary behaviour have established associations with mental illness, the extent to which they impact on mental wellbeing is not well understood. We examined associations between moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sitting time (ST) and mental wellbeing in 4526 participants from the 1970 British Cohort Study (UK) in the age 46 survey (2016–18). MVPA and ST were measured using a thigh mounted accelerometer device (activPAL 3 micro) worn continuously for 7 days and participants completed the 14-item Warwick-Edinburg Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) to assess mental wellbeing. In linear regression models MVPA (per hr) was associated with an additional 0.57 points on the WEMWBS (95% CI 0.03–1.12) regardless of gender, wear time, education, socioeconomic status, smoking, body mass index, disability and psychological distress. ST was not associated with WEMWBS in the adjusted models (B = -0.11, −0.23, 0.02). In MVPA stratified analyses, ST showed a linear trend with WEMBS in participants with low levels of MVPA but not in medium and high MVPA categories. In this large, nationally representative cohort, device-measured MVPA showed an association with higher mental wellbeing whilst ST was only associated with reduced mental wellbeing in participants with low levels of MVPA. Our main limitation was the cross-sectional design which precludes any inference of direction of association or causality. Nevertheless, interventions to promote MVPA may be an effective public health policy to promote mental wellbeing. Further investigation of the effect different sitting behaviours has on mental wellbeing is warranted.

Original language	English
Article number	106434
Journal	Preventive Medicine
Volume	145
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106434
Publication status	Published - Apr 2021

Keywords

Mental health
Mental wellbeing
Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity
Physical activity
Sitting time

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106434

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@article{230d4e299e3446c1aa7454799bb90aa0,

title = "Device-measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour in relation to mental wellbeing: An analysis of the 1970 British cohort study",

abstract = "Although physical activity and sedentary behaviour have established associations with mental illness, the extent to which they impact on mental wellbeing is not well understood. We examined associations between moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sitting time (ST) and mental wellbeing in 4526 participants from the 1970 British Cohort Study (UK) in the age 46 survey (2016–18). MVPA and ST were measured using a thigh mounted accelerometer device (activPAL 3 micro) worn continuously for 7 days and participants completed the 14-item Warwick-Edinburg Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) to assess mental wellbeing. In linear regression models MVPA (per hr) was associated with an additional 0.57 points on the WEMWBS (95% CI 0.03–1.12) regardless of gender, wear time, education, socioeconomic status, smoking, body mass index, disability and psychological distress. ST was not associated with WEMWBS in the adjusted models (B = -0.11, −0.23, 0.02). In MVPA stratified analyses, ST showed a linear trend with WEMBS in participants with low levels of MVPA but not in medium and high MVPA categories. In this large, nationally representative cohort, device-measured MVPA showed an association with higher mental wellbeing whilst ST was only associated with reduced mental wellbeing in participants with low levels of MVPA. Our main limitation was the cross-sectional design which precludes any inference of direction of association or causality. Nevertheless, interventions to promote MVPA may be an effective public health policy to promote mental wellbeing. Further investigation of the effect different sitting behaviours has on mental wellbeing is warranted.",

keywords = "Mental health, Mental wellbeing, Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, Physical activity, Sitting time",

author = "Nipuna Senaratne and Brendon Stubbs and Werneck, {Andr{\'e} O.} and Emmanuel Stamatakis and Mark Hamer",

note = "Funding Information: This work was funded by British Heart Foundation grant SP/15/6/31397 , and a joint award from Economic Social Research Council and Medical Research Council , grant RES-579-47-0001 . The funders had no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the paper for publication. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier Inc. Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

year = "2021",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106434",

language = "English",

volume = "145",

journal = "Preventive Medicine",

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publisher = "ACADEMIC PRESS INC",

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T1 - Device-measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour in relation to mental wellbeing

T2 - An analysis of the 1970 British cohort study

AU - Senaratne, Nipuna

AU - Stubbs, Brendon

AU - Werneck, André O.

AU - Stamatakis, Emmanuel

AU - Hamer, Mark

N1 - Funding Information: This work was funded by British Heart Foundation grant SP/15/6/31397 , and a joint award from Economic Social Research Council and Medical Research Council , grant RES-579-47-0001 . The funders had no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the paper for publication. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier Inc. Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2021/4

Y1 - 2021/4

N2 - Although physical activity and sedentary behaviour have established associations with mental illness, the extent to which they impact on mental wellbeing is not well understood. We examined associations between moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sitting time (ST) and mental wellbeing in 4526 participants from the 1970 British Cohort Study (UK) in the age 46 survey (2016–18). MVPA and ST were measured using a thigh mounted accelerometer device (activPAL 3 micro) worn continuously for 7 days and participants completed the 14-item Warwick-Edinburg Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) to assess mental wellbeing. In linear regression models MVPA (per hr) was associated with an additional 0.57 points on the WEMWBS (95% CI 0.03–1.12) regardless of gender, wear time, education, socioeconomic status, smoking, body mass index, disability and psychological distress. ST was not associated with WEMWBS in the adjusted models (B = -0.11, −0.23, 0.02). In MVPA stratified analyses, ST showed a linear trend with WEMBS in participants with low levels of MVPA but not in medium and high MVPA categories. In this large, nationally representative cohort, device-measured MVPA showed an association with higher mental wellbeing whilst ST was only associated with reduced mental wellbeing in participants with low levels of MVPA. Our main limitation was the cross-sectional design which precludes any inference of direction of association or causality. Nevertheless, interventions to promote MVPA may be an effective public health policy to promote mental wellbeing. Further investigation of the effect different sitting behaviours has on mental wellbeing is warranted.

AB - Although physical activity and sedentary behaviour have established associations with mental illness, the extent to which they impact on mental wellbeing is not well understood. We examined associations between moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sitting time (ST) and mental wellbeing in 4526 participants from the 1970 British Cohort Study (UK) in the age 46 survey (2016–18). MVPA and ST were measured using a thigh mounted accelerometer device (activPAL 3 micro) worn continuously for 7 days and participants completed the 14-item Warwick-Edinburg Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) to assess mental wellbeing. In linear regression models MVPA (per hr) was associated with an additional 0.57 points on the WEMWBS (95% CI 0.03–1.12) regardless of gender, wear time, education, socioeconomic status, smoking, body mass index, disability and psychological distress. ST was not associated with WEMWBS in the adjusted models (B = -0.11, −0.23, 0.02). In MVPA stratified analyses, ST showed a linear trend with WEMBS in participants with low levels of MVPA but not in medium and high MVPA categories. In this large, nationally representative cohort, device-measured MVPA showed an association with higher mental wellbeing whilst ST was only associated with reduced mental wellbeing in participants with low levels of MVPA. Our main limitation was the cross-sectional design which precludes any inference of direction of association or causality. Nevertheless, interventions to promote MVPA may be an effective public health policy to promote mental wellbeing. Further investigation of the effect different sitting behaviours has on mental wellbeing is warranted.

KW - Mental health

KW - Mental wellbeing

KW - Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity

KW - Physical activity

KW - Sitting time

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U2 - 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106434

DO - 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106434

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85099862715

SN - 0091-7435

VL - 145

JO - Preventive Medicine

JF - Preventive Medicine

M1 - 106434

ER -

Device-measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour in relation to mental wellbeing: An analysis of the 1970 British cohort study

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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