Higher Daily Step Counts Linked to Lower Depression Risk in Adults: Study
According to the findings from a recent research, higher daily step counts are linked with fewer depressive symptoms. The new systematic review with meta-analysis of 33 studies that involved more than 96,000 adults found that people who took higher steps per day also experienced lower levels of depression compared with those who had minimal physical activities. This study was conducted by Bruno B.P. and colleagues which was published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
The systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to examine the relationship between objectively measured daily step counts and depression in adults. Data were drawn from five major databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science up to May 18, 2024. There were thirty-three observational studies included, consisting of 27 cross-sectional and 6 longitudinal studies (3 panel and 3 prospective cohorts).
Of all the analyzed adults 96,173, aged 18 years or more, were from diverse age ranges of mean: 18.6 and 91.2. The effect sizes like the standardized mean difference SMD and the risk ratio, RR pooled were applied to evaluate association for step counts and depression symptomatology. The analysis also used Sidik Jonkman’s random effect so as not to make the outcomes loose.
The study showed clear evidence that higher daily steps were inversely related to depression symptoms:
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Participants with steps/day of 10,000 or more had considerable reductions in depressive symptoms. SMD: −0.26; 95% CI: −0.38 to −0.14.
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Participants with 7500 to 9999 steps/day gained similar benefits. SMD: −0.27; 95% CI: −0.43 to −0.11.
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Walking 5000 to 7499 steps/day also decreased depressive symptoms, although to a lesser degree (SMD: −0.17; 95% CI: −0.30 to −0.04).
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Risk reduction: Prospective cohort studies showed that people walking 7000 or more steps/day had a 31% lower risk of depression than those walking less than 7000 steps/day (RR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.62-0.77).
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Incremental benefits: With each extra 1000 steps taken a day, the incidence of depression was reduced by 9% (RR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.87-0.94).
Higher daily steps had a correlation with lower symptom level of depression among adults. Walking 7000 to 10,000 steps daily was linked to a significant reduction in depression risk, with incremental benefits observed for every 1000 additional steps. These findings highlight the importance of daily physical activity as a straightforward approach to improving mental health.
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