LESS screen time and more sleep are critical for preventing depression, a new study suggests. An international research team found that certain lifestyle choices may have a big impact on mood. That includes having a better-quality diet, getting more physical activity and not smoking.
Australian researchers analyzed UK Biobank data from 85,000 people to determine impact of lifestyle on depression. They found physical activity, a healthy diet and getting between seven and nine hours of sleep nightly was associated with less frequency of depressed mood. Screen time and tobacco smoking were significantly associated with higher frequency of depression.
“The research is the first assessment of such a broad range of lifestyle factors and its effect on depression symptoms using the large UK Biobank lifestyle and mood dataset,” said lead co-author Jerome Sarris, a professor at Western Sydney University’s NICM Health Research Institute.
“While people usually know that physical activity is
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