MELBOURNE, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Children and adolescents with better cardiorespiratory fitness may face a lower risk of developing depression in adulthood, Australian-led research has found.
Using data from the Childhood Determinants of Adult Health study, the research examined the cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness of more than 1,000 Australians who were aged 7-15 in 1985 and reassessed more than three decades later, when they were aged 36-49, according to a statement released Thursday by Australia's University of Tasmania (UTAS).
The study found that childhood cardiorespiratory fitness, or fitness "developed through activities that make you huff and puff," showed the strongest and most consistent association with a lower risk of depression in adulthood. The association also appeared stronger among females.
According to the study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, fitness was measured through a 1.6-km run and standing long jump, with some participants also completing cycling and handgrip tests. Over 30 years later, they underwent a World Health Organization diagnostic interview to assess lifetime depression.
Lead author Kylie Smith from the UTAS Menzies Institute for Medical Research said the findings did not show that poor childhood fitness caused adult depression, but suggested childhood fitness could have benefits beyond physical health.
"Fitness may be one piece of the puzzle," and depression has many contributing factors, Smith said, noting that further research was needed to understand the pathways between childhood fitness and depression. ■