Analysis of 17,000 Participants in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Combined Effects of High-Quality Diet and Active Physical Activity
A study has found that practicing both healthy eating habits and regular physical activity simultaneously results in a lower risk of developing depression compared to practicing only one of them.
Marathon participants are running vigorously. Photo is not directly related to the content of the article. Photo by Jinhyung Kang
On April 9, a research team led by Professor Park Minseon from the Department of Family Medicine at Seoul National University Hospital analyzed the impact of diet and physical activity on depression among 17,737 adults who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020). After excluding those already diagnosed with depression, the researchers assessed the quality of participants’ diets and their weekly physical activity levels. They then checked whether individuals scored 10 or higher on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a screening tool for depressive symptoms. This tool consists of nine questions, and a score of 10 or higher is considered indicative of moderate depression.
The researchers divided the participants into four groups: those with both poor diet quality and insufficient physical activity; those with only high diet quality; those with only high physical activity; and those with both high diet quality and high physical activity. The results showed that 4.6% of all participants exhibited depressive symptoms. Among these, the group with both high diet quality and high physical activity had a 45% lower risk of developing depressive symptoms compared to the group with both factors lacking. In addition, the group with only high physical activity had a 26% lower risk, while the group with only high diet quality did not show a significant association.
Furthermore, the associations varied by gender and age. Among women, practicing both healthy eating and regular physical activity reduced the risk of depressive symptoms by as much as 52%. In the middle-aged (45–65 years) and older adult (65 years and older) groups, the risk of depressive symptoms was reduced by 58–59% among those who practiced both. However, no such association was found for participants under 45 or for men.
The research team explained, “Maintaining muscle strength through physical activity, which enables daily life, plays an important role in psychological well-being during old age.” Clinical instructor Kim Soyoung added, “For younger people, irregular eating routines such as skipping breakfast and general life instability may have a greater impact on depressive symptoms than overall nutritional status. In addition, for women, the social significance of communal meals in East Asian cultures also affects emotional well-being.”
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Professor Park emphasized, “If the government and local authorities link nutrition education with programs to promote physical activity, it could improve public mental health and help reduce long-term healthcare costs.”
This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.
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