Relationships between Physical Activity, Sleeping Time, and Psychological Distress in Community-Dwelling Elderly Japanese

Background and objectives: It is well-known that lifestyle is closely associated with psychological distress in many elderly subjects. However, the effect of intervention with physical activity and/or sleeping on psychological distress has not been fully discussed. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationships between physical activity, sleeping time, and psychological distress in community-dwelling elderly Japanese subjects.

Materials and Methods: A total of 108 elderly Japanese (31 men and 77 women) subjects were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Psychological distress was evaluated using the K6 questionnaire. Physical activity, including sedentary behavior, was measured using a tri-accelerometer. Sleeping time was evaluated using a self-reported questionnaire.

Results: The median of the K6 scores was 1.0 (0-18), and the sedentary behavior (%) and walking time (minutes/day) were 57.2 ± 10.7 and 80.7 (17.9-222.4), respectively. Sleeping time was negatively correlated with psychological distress. In addition, multiple linear regression showed that walking time and sleeping time were important factors for psychological distress, even after adjusting for confounding factors.

Conclusions: These results suggest that increased walking time and sleeping time may be beneficial for reducing psychological distress in community-dwelling elderly Japanese subjects.