Hanyang Digital Healthcare Center, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Department of Cognitive Sciences, School of Intelligence, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2023 Jun 26;11:e46286. doi: 10.2196/46286.
Depression is a substantial global health problem, affecting >300 million people and resulting in 12.7% of all deaths. Depression causes various physical and cognitive problems, leading to a 5-year to 10-year decrease in life expectancy compared with the general population. Physical activity is known to be an effective, evidence-based treatment for depression. However, people generally have difficulties with participating in physical activity owing to limitations in time and accessibility.
To address this issue, this study aimed to contribute to the development of alternative and innovative intervention methods for depression and stress management in adults. More specifically, we attempted to investigate the effectiveness of a mobile phone-based physical activity program on depression, perceived stress, psychological well-being, and quality of life among adults in South Korea.
Participants were recruited and randomly assigned to the mobile phone intervention or waitlist group. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess variables before and after treatment. The treatment group used the program around 3 times per week at home for 4 weeks, with each session lasting about 30 minutes. To evaluate the program's impact, a 2 (condition) × 2 (time) repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted, considering pretreatment and posttreatment measures along with group as independent variables. For a more detailed analysis, paired-samples 2-tailed t tests were used to compare pretreatment and posttreatment measurements within each group. Independent-samples 2-tailed t tests were conducted to assess intergroup differences in pretreatment measurements.
The study included a total of 68 adults aged between 18 and 65 years, who were recruited both through web-based and offline methods. Of these 68 individuals, 41 (60%) were randomly assigned to the treatment group and 27 (40%) to the waitlist group. The attrition rate was 10.2% after 4 weeks. The findings indicated that there is a significant main effect of time (F=15.63; P=.003; η=0.21) in participants' depression scores, indicating that there were changes in depression level across time. No significant changes were observed in perceived stress (P=.25), psychological well-being (P=.35), or quality of life (P=.07). Furthermore, depression scores significantly decreased in the treatment group (from 7.08 to 4.64; P=.03; Cohen d=0.50) but not in the waitlist group (from 6.72 to 5.08; P=.20; Cohen d=0.36). Perceived stress score of the treatment group also significantly decreased (from 2.95 to 2.72; P=.04; Cohen d=0.46) but not in the waitlist group (from 2.82 to 2.74; P=.55; Cohen d=0.15).
This study provided experimental evidence that mobile phone-based physical activity program affects depression significantly. By exploring the potential of mobile phone-based physical activity programs as a treatment option, this study sought to improve accessibility and encourage participation in physical activity, ultimately promoting better mental health outcomes for individuals with depression and stress.
抑郁症是一个严重的全球健康问题，影响着超过 3 亿人，导致全球 12.7%的死亡。抑郁症会导致各种身体和认知问题，导致与普通人群相比预期寿命缩短 5 至 10 年。身体活动已被证明是治疗抑郁症的有效、基于证据的方法。然而，由于时间和可及性的限制，人们通常难以参与身体活动。
为了解决这个问题，本研究旨在为抑郁症和成年人压力管理的替代和创新干预方法的发展做出贡献。更具体地说，我们试图研究基于手机的身体活动方案对韩国成年人的抑郁症、感知压力、心理幸福感和生活质量的影响。
参与者通过网络和线下两种方式招募并随机分配到手机干预组或候补组。使用自我报告问卷在治疗前和治疗后评估变量。治疗组在家中每周使用该方案约 3 次，每次约 30 分钟，持续 4 周。为了评估方案的影响，我们进行了 2（条件）×2（时间）重复测量方差分析，考虑了治疗前和治疗后测量以及组作为独立变量。为了更详细的分析，我们在每个组内使用配对样本 2 尾 t 检验比较治疗前和治疗后的测量。使用独立样本 2 尾 t 检验评估治疗前测量的组间差异。
该研究共纳入了 68 名年龄在 18 至 65 岁之间的成年人，他们通过网络和线下两种方式招募。在这 68 名参与者中，有 41 名（60%）被随机分配到治疗组，27 名（40%）被分配到候补组。4 周后，失访率为 10.2%。结果表明，参与者的抑郁评分存在显著的时间主效应（F=15.63；P=.003；η=0.21），表明抑郁水平随时间发生变化。感知压力（P=.25）、心理幸福感（P=.35）或生活质量（P=.07）没有显著变化。此外，治疗组的抑郁评分显著降低（从 7.08 降至 4.64；P=.03；Cohen d=0.50），但候补组没有（从 6.72 降至 5.08；P=.20；Cohen d=0.36）。治疗组的感知压力评分也显著降低（从 2.95 降至 2.72；P=.04；Cohen d=0.46），但候补组没有（从 2.82 降至 2.74；P=.55；Cohen d=0.15）。
本研究提供了实验证据，表明基于手机的身体活动方案对抑郁症有显著影响。通过探索基于手机的身体活动方案作为治疗选择的潜力，本研究旨在提高可及性并鼓励参与身体活动，最终为患有抑郁症和压力的个人带来更好的心理健康结果。
