ArticleScientific reports2025
Bidirectional relationships between physical exercise and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults evidence from the China family panel studies.
Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The impact of high-intensity exercise on patients with depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in public health · 2025Pooled it
- Prevalence and risk factors of depression in patients with diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2025Pooled it
- Article
- Physical Activity Volume, Exercise Guidance, and Depressive Symptoms in Young-Old Adults: The Role of Internet Use Frequency and Self-Perceived Digital Proficiency.Depression and anxiety · 2026Article
- The interaction of physical activity and sleep quality with depression and anxiety in older adults.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
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Abstract
The study aimed to explore the bidirectional causal relationship between physical activity and depressive symptoms in older adults using a multi-wave follow-up design, expanding on established evidence of a bidirectional relationship between physical activity and depression in older adults. Drawing on individual-level tracking data from the China Family Panel Studies (2016, 2018, and 2020), the causal relationship was tested using fixed effects and cross-lagged panel models. Results indicated that physical exercise was a significant negative predictor of depression in older adults across both continuous (β=-0.056, p < 0.001) and categorical variables (β=-0.536, p < 0.001). After controlling for unobserved confounders, physical exercise continued to have a significant negative impact on depressive symptoms (β=-0.024, p < 0.05; β=- 0.210, p < 0.05). Cross-lagged analyses revealed that physical exercise significantly influenced depressive symptoms only during the T1→T2 phase (β=-0.073, p < 0.001), while depressive symptoms negatively predicted physical activity in later phases (β=-0.068, p < 0.001; β=-0.082, p < 0.001). This finding underscores that while physical exercise can positively impact depressive symptoms in older adults, it may not be sufficient during public health crises or social emergencies. A holistic approach, incorporating social support and psychological interventions, is essential for more effective prevention and management of depressive symptoms.
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