RESEARCH - Depressive symptoms are associated with physical inactivity in patients with type 2 diabetes

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Family Practice Advance Access published online on March 25, 2009

Family Practice, doi:10.1093/fampra/cmp016

Depressive symptoms are associated with physical inactivity in

patients with type 2 diabetes. The DIAZOB Primary Care Diabetes study

Berber Koopmansa, François Pouwera, A de Bieb, beth S van

Rooija, Geraline L Leusinkc and Victor J Popa

a Centre of Research on Psychology in Somatic Diseases (CoRPS),

Department of Medical Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The

Netherlands

b CAPHRI School, Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University,

Maastricht, The Netherlands

c Diagnostic Centre ‘s Hertogenbosch, ‘s Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands

Abstract

Background. Depression is a common complication of type 2 diabetes,

associated with poor disease outcomes such as impaired glycaemic

control, cardiovascular disease and increased mortality. The

mechanisms behind these associations are unclear. Depression might

contribute to poor disease outcomes through decreased physical

activity.

Objective. To test whether type 2 diabetes patients with elevated

depression scores are more often physically inactive.

Methods. Demographic features, clinical factors, level of physical

inactivity and depressive symptoms were assessed in 2646 primary care

patients with type 2 diabetes. Sequential multiple logistic regression

analyses [odds ratio, 95% confidence interval (CI)] were performed to

test the association between depressive symptoms and physical

inactivity.

Results. About 48% of the respondents were physically inactive.

Elevated depressive symptoms were found in 14% of the respondents.

After adjustment for potential confounders, the odds for being

physically inactive were almost doubled in depressed patients with

type 2 diabetes 1.74 (95% CI 1.32–2.31).

Conclusions. Presence of depressive symptoms almost doubles the

likelihood of physical inactivity in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Longitudinal studies are needed to investigate whether physical

inactivity forms the link between depression and poor disease

outcomes.

http://fampra.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/cmp016v1?papetoc

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