Participation in Sports/Recreational Activities and the Occurrence of Psychological Distress in Mid‐Aged Adults: Findings From the HABITAT Cohort Study

Abstract

ABSTRACTObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate prospective associations between participation in sports/recreational activities and the occurrence of moderate‐to‐severe psychological distress over 2 years in a sample of mid‐aged Australians.MethodsThis prospective study used data from 6699 adults aged 40+ years, living in Brisbane in 2007, and surveyed in 2009, 2011 and 2013. Participants provided self‐reported data on frequency of participation in each of 11 sports/recreational activities in past 12 months and completed the Kessler Psychological Distress 6‐item Scale (K6). Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models with a 2‐year lag were used to assess the associations of participation in sports/recreational activities in 2009 and 2011 with new cases of moderate‐to‐severe psychological distress (K6 score ≥ 5) in 2011 and 2013.ResultsFrom 2009 to 2013, 22.4% of participants without moderate‐to‐severe psychological distress at baseline (N = 4943) developed this outcome in at least one survey. Overall, there were no clear patterns of association between frequency of participation in sports and recreational activities and occurrence of moderate‐to‐severe psychological distress. In unadjusted models, weekly participation in some activities (e.g., tennis, golf, and exercise classes) was associated with reduced odds of moderate‐to‐severe psychological distress over the next 2 years, but these associations were attenuated in most adjusted models with sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health covariates. Participation in home‐based exercise and running/jogging were associated with higher odds of psychological distress.ConclusionOur findings do not provide strong evidence of beneficial associations of frequency of sport/recreational activities with psychological distress but show surprising negative associations of home‐based exercise and running/jogging with occurrence of moderate‐to‐severe psychological distress over 2 years.