Physical activity and depression in people with coronary heart disease

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine the links between depression and physical activity in people with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and to investigate the effect that time since the cardiac episode has on this relationship. Seventy-eight participants (53 males and 25 females) with a mean age of 68.0 years (range 39-82 years) and who had experienced a cardiac event within the past 12 months were recruited through Western Health in Victoria. Participants were sent a questionnaire package, consisting of a demographic questionnaire (which included a question about the time since the participants’ last cardiac events), the Cardiac Depression Scale (CDS), and the leisure and home-based physical activity section of the Scottish Physical Activity Questionnaire (SPAQ). Results showed that those participants whose last cardiac event was 1-6 months ago reported higher levels of depression (mean[CDS] = 92) than those participants whose last cardiac event was 7-12 months ago (mean[CDS] = 82, effect size[d] = 0.32). The 1-6 month participants also engaged in less physical activity (mean = 367 minutes per week) than the 7-12 month participants (mean = 548 minutes per week, effect size[d] = 0.39). There was a negative relationship between leisure and home-based physical activity and depression (1-6 months ago, r = -.33; 7-12 months ago, r = -.25). These findings accentuate the need to explore further the experiences of people with CHD and depression with respect to physical activity, and to develop interventions to decrease depression and increase physical activity in people with CHD.