Recurrent depression in childhood and adolescence and low childhood socioeconomic status predict low cardiorespiratory fitness in early adulthood

Georgios Nikolakaros; Tero Vahlberg; Lauri Sillanmäki; Andre Sourander

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2019.11.029

Recurrent depression in childhood and adolescence and low childhood socioeconomic status predict low cardiorespiratory fitness in early adulthood

J Affect Disord. 2020 Apr 1:266:782-792. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.11.029. Epub 2019 Nov 11.

Authors

Georgios Nikolakaros¹, Tero Vahlberg², Lauri Sillanmäki³, Andre Sourander⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, HUS Medical Imaging Center, Helsinki University and Helsinki University Hospital, Finland; Sleep Disorders Outpatient Clinic, Psychiatry, Helsinki University and Helsinki University Hospital, Finland. Electronic address: georgios.nikolakaros@gmail.com.
² Department of Clinical Medicine, Biostatistics, University of Turku, Finland.
³ Research Center for Child Psychiatry, University of Turku, Finland.
⁴ Research Center for Child Psychiatry, University of Turku, Finland; INVEST Research Flagship, University of Turku, Finland (Principal Investigator).

PMID: 32217260
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.11.029

Abstract

Background: Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) strongly influences health, but very little is known about the childhood determinants of adult CRF. Our longitudinal study investigated whether childhood psychopathology and socioeconomic status (SES) were related to adult CRF in 1647 Finnish male military conscripts.

Methods: Childhood psychopathology was assessed at the age of eight using the Rutter and Children's Depression Inventory questionnaires. Parental education and family structure were used to assess childhood SES. In late adolescence, depressive symptoms were assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory and smoking with a questionnaire. CRF in early adulthood was examined with the Cooper's 12-minute run test.

Results: General linear models showed that low parental education (p=0.001), depressive symptoms in childhood (p=0.035) and late adolescence, smoking, underweight, and overweight/obesity (all p<0.001) independently predicted lower CRF. The interaction between depressive symptoms in childhood and adolescence was significant (p=0.003). In adolescents with depressive symptoms, childhood depressive symptoms (p=0.001) and overweight/obesity (p<0.001) predicted lower CRF. In adolescents without depressive symptoms, conduct problems in childhood predicted lower CRF in the initial models, but the effect disappeared after taking into account smoking and body mass index. Mediational analysis confirmed these results.

Limitations: We lacked data on physical activity and only studied males at three time-points.

Conclusions: Recurrent depression in childhood and adolescence and low SES in childhood predict lower adult CRF. Conduct problems in childhood predict lower CRF, but the effect is mediated by overweight/obesity and smoking. Psychiatric treatment for children and adolescents should promote physical activity, particularly for children with low SES.

Keywords: Adolescent; Cardiorespiratory fitness; Child; Conduct disorder; Depressive symptoms; Socioeconomic factors.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Body Mass Index
Cardiorespiratory Fitness*
Child
Depression / epidemiology
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Social Class