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Poor sleep quality and physical inactivity are known risk factors for depressive symptoms. Yet, whether these factors differently contribute to depressive symptoms and whether they interact with one another remains unclear. Here, we examined how sleep quality and physical activity influence depressive symptoms in 79,274 adults 50 years of age or older (52.4% women) from the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) study. Sleep quality (poor vs. good), physical activity (inactive vs. active), and depressive symptoms (0 to 12 score) were repeatedly collected (7 waves of data collection) between 2004 and 2017. Results showed that sleep quality and physical activity were associated with depressive symptoms. Specifically, participants with poorer sleep quality reported more depressive symptoms than participants with better sleep quality (b = 1.85, 95% CI = 1.83-1.86, p < .001). Likewise, compared to physically active participants, physically inactive participants reported more depressive symptoms (b = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.42-0.45, p < .001). Moreover, sleep quality and physical activity showed an interactive association with depressive symptoms (b = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.13-0.20, p < .001). The negative association between poor sleep quality and higher depressive symptoms was stronger in physically inactive than active participants. These findings suggest that, in adults 50 years of age or older, both poor sleep quality and physical inactivity are related to an increase in depressive symptoms. Moreover, the detrimental association between poor sleep quality and depressive symptoms is amplified in physically inactive individuals., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background : Precursors driving leisure-time sedentary behaviors remain poorly investigated, despite their detrimental consequences. This study aimed to investigate the predictive validity of controlled and automatic motivational precursors toward reducing sedentary behaviors and being physically active on leisure-time sedentary behaviors. The influence of demographic, physical, socio-professional, interpersonal, and environmental variables was also examined and compared with the associations of motivational precursors. Methods : 125 adults completed questionnaires measuring controlled motivational precursors (i.e., intentions, perceived competence), demographical (i.e., sex and age), physical (i.e., body mass index), and interpersonal (i.e., number of children) variables. Regarding automatic motivational precursors, habit strength and approach-avoidance tendencies were captured using the Self-Report Behavioral Automaticity Index and a manikin task. Time at work was computed as a socio-professional variable, days of the week and weather conditions were recorded as environmental precursors. Participants wore an accelerometer for 7 days and leisure time was identified using notebooks. Associations between the different precursors and the leisure-time sedentary behaviors were examined in linear mixed effect models. Results : Intention to be physically active and habit strength toward physical activity were negatively associated with leisure-time sedentary behaviors. Sex, body mass index, time at work, number of children, day of the week, and weather conditions were more strongly associated with leisure-time sedentary behaviors. Conclusion : Our findings show that, in comparison with other variables, the influence of motivational precursors on leisure-time sedentary behaviors is limited. This study supports the adoption of a broad-spectrum of precursors when predicting sedentary behaviors.

To assess whether changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviour during the COVID-19 lockdown are associated with changes in mental and physical health. Observational longitudinal study. Participants living in France or Switzerland responded to online questionnaires measuring physical activity, physical and mental health, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Paired sample t-tests were used to assess differences in physical activity and sedentary behaviour before and during lockdown. Multiple linear regressions were used to investigate associations between changes in physical activity and changes in mental and physical health during lockdown. 267 (wave1) and 110 participants (wave2; 2 weeks later) were recruited. Lockdown resulted in higher time spent in walking and moderate physical activity (~10min/day) and in sedentary behaviour (~75min/day), compared to pre COVID-19. Increased physical activity during leisure time from week 2 to week 4 of lockdown was associated with improved physical health (β=.24, p =.002). Additionally, an increase in sedentary behaviour during leisure time was associated with poorer physical health (β=-.35, p =.002), mental health (β=-.25, p =.003), and subjective vitality (β=-.30, p =.004). Ensuring sufficient levels of physical activity and reducing sedentary time can play a vital role in helping people to cope with a major stressful event, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Poor lung function in late life may stem from early-life risk factors, but the epidemiological evidence is inconsistent. We investigated whether individuals who experienced disadvantageous socioeconomic circumstances (SEC) in early life showed lower levels of respiratory function in older age, a steeper decline over time, and whether these relationships were explained by adult-life SEC, body mass index, and physical inactivity in older age., Methods: We used data from the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe (2004-2015). Participants' peak expiratory flow (PEF) was assessed with a mini-Wright peak flow meter at second, fourth, and sixth waves. Confounder-adjusted linear mixed-effect models were used to examine the associations between early-life SEC and PEF in older age. A total of 21,734 adults aged 50-96 years (46,264 observations) were included in the analyses., Results: Older adults with disadvantaged early-life SEC showed lower levels of PEF compared with those with advantaged early-life SEC. The association between early-life SEC and late-life PEF persisted after adjusting for adult-life SEC, smoking, physical inactivity, and body mass index. PEF declined with age, but the effect of early-life SEC on this decline was not consistent across robustness and sensitivity analyses., Conclusions: Early life is a sensitive period for respiratory health. Further considering the effect of SEC arising during this period may improve the prevention of chronic respiratory diseases., (© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Why do individuals fail to exercise regularly despite knowledge of the risks associated with physical inactivity? Automatic processes regulating exercise behaviors may partly explain this paradox. Yet, these processes have only been investigated with behavioral outcomes (i.e., based on reaction times). Here, using electroencephalography, we investigated the cortical activity underlying automatic approach and avoidance tendencies toward stimuli depicting physical activity and sedentary behaviors in 29 young adults who were physically active or physically inactive but with the intention of becoming physically active. Behavioral results showed faster reactions when approaching physical activity compared to sedentary behaviors and when avoiding sedentary behaviors compared to physical activity. These faster reactions were more pronounced in physically active individuals and were associated with changes during sensory integration (earlier onset latency and larger positive deflection of the stimulus-locked lateralized readiness potentials) but not during motor preparation (no effect on the response-locked lateralized readiness potentials). Faster reactions when avoiding sedentary behaviors compared to physical activity were also associated with higher conflict monitoring (larger early and late N1 event-related potentials) and higher inhibition (larger N2 event-related potentials), irrespective of the usual level of physical activity. These results suggest that additional cortical resources were required to counteract an attraction to sedentary behaviors. Data and Materials [https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1169140]. Preprint [https://doi.org/10.1101/277988]., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: In a time of physical inactivity pandemic, attempts to better understand the factors underlying the regulation of exercise behavior are important. The dominant neurobiological approach to exercise behavior considers physical activity to be a reward; however, negative affective responses during exercise challenge this idea., Objective: Our objective was to systematically review studies testing the automatic reactions triggered by stimuli associated with different types of exercise behavior (e.g. physical activity, sedentary behaviors) and energetic cost variations (e.g. decreased energetic cost, irrespective of the level of physical activity). We also examined evidence supporting the hypothesis that behaviors minimizing energetic cost (BMEC) are rewarding., Methods: Two authors systematically searched, screened, extracted, and analyzed data from articles in the MEDLINE database., Results: We included 26 studies. Three outcomes of automatic processes were tested: affective reactions, attentional capture, and approach tendencies. Behavioral results show that physical activity can become attention-grabbing, automatically trigger positive affect, and elicit approach behaviors. These automatic reactions explain and predict exercise behaviors; however, the use of a wide variety of measures prevents drawing solid conclusions about the specific effects of automatic processes. Brain imaging results are scarce but show that stimuli associated with physical activity and, to a lesser extent, sedentary behaviors activate regions involved in reward processes. Studies investigating the rewarding value of behaviors driving energetic cost variations such as BMEC are lacking., Conclusion: Reward is an important factor in exercise behavior. The literature based on the investigation of automatic behaviors seems in line with the suggestion that physical activity is rewarding, at least for physically active individuals. Results suggest that sedentary behaviors could also be rewarding, although this evidence remains weak due to a lack of investigations. Finally, from an evolutionary perspective, BMEC are likely to be rewarding; however, no study has investigated this hypothesis. In sum, additional studies are required to establish a strong and complete framework of the reward processes underlying automatic exercise behavior.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the associations between early- and adult-life socioeconomic circumstances and physical inactivity (level and evolution) in aging using large-scale longitudinal data., Methods: This study used the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe, a 10-yr population-based cohort study with repeated measurements in five waves, every 2 yr between 2004 and 2013. Self-reported physical inactivity (waves 1, 2, 4, and 5), household income (waves 1, 2, 4, and 5), educational attainment (wave of the first measurement occasion), and early-life socioeconomic circumstance (wave 3) were collected in 22,846 individuals 50 to 95 yr of age., Results: Risk of physical inactivity was increased for women with the most disadvantaged early-life socioeconomic circumstances (odds ratio [OR], 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-1.86). With aging, the risk of physical inactivity increased for both sexes and was strongest for those with the most disadvantaged early-life socioeconomic circumstances (OR, 1.04 (95% CI, 1.02-1.06) for women; OR, 1.02 (95% CI, 1.00-1.05) for men), with the former effect being more robust than the latter one. The association between early-life socioeconomic circumstances and physical inactivity was mediated by adult-life socioeconomic circumstances, with education being the strongest mediator., Conclusions: Early-life socioeconomic circumstances predicted high levels of physical inactivity at older ages, but this effect was mediated by socioeconomic indicators in adult life. This finding has implications for public health policies, which should continue to promote education to reduce physical inactivity in people at older ages and to ensure optimal healthy aging trajectories, especially among women with disadvantaged early-life socioeconomic circumstances.

Using computerized reaction-time tasks assessing automatic attitudes, studies have shown that healthy young adults have faster reaction times when approaching physical activity stimuli than when avoiding them. The opposite has been observed for sedentary stimuli. However, it is unclear whether these results hold across the lifespan and when error rates and a possible generic approach-avoidance tendency are accounted for. Here, reaction times and errors in online approach-avoidance tasks of 130 participants aged 21 to 77 years were analyzed using mixed-effects models. Automatic approach-avoidance tendencies were tested using physical activity, sedentary, and neutral stimuli. Explicit attitudes toward physical activity and intention to be physically active were self-reported. Results accounting for age, sex, gender, level of physical activity, body mass index, and chronic health condition confirmed a main tendency to approach physical activity stimuli (i.e., faster reaction to approach vs. avoid; p = .001) and to avoid sedentary stimuli (i.e., faster reaction to avoid vs. approach; p < .001). Results based on neutral stimuli revealed a generic approach tendency in early adulthood (i.e., faster approach before age 53 and fewer errors before age 36) and a generic avoidance tendency in older adults (i.e., more errors after age 60). When accounting for these generic tendencies, results showed a greater tendency (i.e., fewer errors) to avoid than approach sedentary stimuli after aged 50, but not before (p = .026). Exploratory analyses showed that irrespective of age, participants were faster at approaching physical activity (p = .028) and avoiding sedentary stimuli (p = .041) when they considered physical activity as pleasant and enjoyable (explicit attitude). However, results showed no evidence of an association between approach-avoidance tendencies and the intention to be physically active. Taken together, these results suggest that both age and explicit attitudes can affect the general tendency to approach physical activity stimuli and to avoid sedentary stimuli.

Background: Despite the key role of physical activity in the management of diabetes, many individuals with diabetes do not engage in the recommended levels of physical activity. However, our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the relationship between diabetes and physical inactivity is limited.Purpose: To investigate the associations between diabetes and the levels and evolution of physical activity across aging, and to determine whether physical, emotional, and cognitive factors mediate these associations.Methods: Data from 105,622 adults aged 50-96 years from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) were used in adjusted linear mixed models to examine whether diabetes was associated with physical activity levels and variations across aging. The potential mediators were subjective energy, muscle strength, physical and cognitive disability, sleep problems, depressive symptoms, and cognitive functions. The variables were measured up to seven times over a 13-year period.Results: Individuals with diabetes demonstrated a lower level and a steeper decrease in physical activity across aging than individual without diabetes. Mediators explained ~53% and 94% of the association of diabetes with the level of physical activity and with the linear evolution of physical activity across aging, respectively. All mediators were significantly associated with physical activity. Physical and cognitive disability as well as depressive symptoms were the strongest mediators, while sleep was the lowest one.Conclusions: These findings suggest that the etiology of physical inactivity in individuals with diabetes can result from several physical, emotional, and cognitive changes associated with the emergence of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the automatic attraction to effort minimization has been evidenced in multiple fields, its potential role in explaining the pandemic of physical inactivity has been overlooked. The theory of effort minimization in physical activity (TEMPA) fills this gap. TEMPA seeks to obtain a more accurate understanding of the neuropsychological determinants of movement-based behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Muscle weakness - a biomarker of health - may have its origins in early life and be related to factors such as adverse childhood experiences (ACE), which refer to a set of early-life traumatic and stressful psychosocial events out of the child's control. To date, evidence of an association between ACE and muscle strength in older age is lacking. -Objective: Here, we assessed the associations between ACE during the first 15 years of life and the risk of low muscle strength (LMS) later in life. We also examined whether adult-life socioeconomic circumstances (i.e., educational attainment, main occupational position, and satisfaction with household financial situation) and unhealthy behaviors (i.e., physical inactivity, unhealthy eating, smoking, and high level of alcohol consumption) explained this association.Methods: We used data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe, a 12-year cohort study with 6 -repeated measurements between 2004 and 2015. Muscle strength was measured using a handheld dynamometer. Confounder-adjusted logistic mixed-effect models were used to examine the associations between ACE (child in care, parental death, parental mental illness, parental drinking, period of hunger, or property taken away) and the risk of LMS in older age. -Results: 24,179 participants (96,372 observations; 13,477 women; aged 50-96 years) living in 14 countries were included. LMS increased with age for both genders. For women, there was a gradual increase in the risk of LMS with the number of experienced ACE (ORs = 1.22 for 1 ACE, 1.74 for ≥2 ACE compared to no ACE). However, there was no significant association among men. This association was only slightly attenuated when adjusting for socioeconomic circumstances and unhealthy behaviors in adulthood.Conclusions: ACE are associated with later-life muscle weakness among women. These associations were not compensated by the adoption of healthy behaviors or an improvement in socioeconomic circumstances in adulthood. These results suggest that tackling these early-life risk factors in women could promote long-term grip strength, a biomarker of aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attentional capture by exercise‐related stimuli is important for the regulation of physical activity. Attentional processing underlying this capture has been investigated with indirect behavioral measures based on reaction times. To investigate more direct measures of visual spatial attention toward physical activity (vs. inactivity) stimuli, we used eye‐tracking and a visual dot probe task in 77 young adults with various level of physical activity. Reaction times to detect a dot appearing in the area previously occupied by a physical activity (vs. inactivity) stimulus were an indirect measure of attentional bias. The first picture gaze and viewing time were more direct measures of attentional orienting and attentional engagement, respectively. Pupil dilation was an indicator of arousal. Reaction times revealed a two‐way interaction between the location of the dot and participants' usual level of physical activity. Only participants with a high level of physical activity more quickly detected a dot when it appeared in the area previously occupied by a physical activity stimulus. Eye‐tracking results showed greater odds of first gazing at physical activity stimuli and for a longer time, and a greater decrease in pupil size when viewing physical activity stimuli when usual level of physical activity was moderate or high, but not low. The variance explained in the outcomes ranged from 13.9% (pupil dilation) to 40% (reaction times). Overall, as hypothesized, compared to less physically active participants, participants who were more physically active demonstrated indirect (reaction times) and direct (first gaze, viewing time) evidence of a more pronounced attentional bias toward physical activity. Physical activity stimuli biased attention, with a pronounced effect when the level of physical activity was higher. These findings suggest that physical activity stimuli are relevant to the current concerns of moderately and highly active individuals. Behavioral studies based on reaction‐time tasks suggest that active individuals are attentionally biased toward physical activity. Here, based on eye‐tracking evidence, we show that moderately‐to‐highly active individuals orient their attention toward physical activity stimuli more often and for longer periods of time than toward physical inactivity stimuli. Interventions aiming to promote physical activity might benefit from testing the effectiveness of attentional bias modification treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent theory contends that behaviors minimizing energetic cost are rewarding (Cheval et al., 2018). However, direct experimental evidence supporting this theory is lacking. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated the effect of energy expenditure on reward-related brain activity in a pre-registered study. This preregistered study included thirty-one participants who were equipped with an electroencephalography (EEG) cap and performed a monetary incentive delay task. After attempting to quickly respond to a target, participants were given feedback instructing them to retrieve a token (reward condition) or to wait (no reward condition). In half of the rewarding trials, participants stood up to retrieve a token, thereby increasing energy expenditure. In the other half, participants just had to extend their arm to retrieve a token, thereby minimizing energy expenditure. The contingent negative variation event-related potential (ERP) component preceding the motor response was used as an indicator of reward pursuit. The reward positivity ERP component time-locked to feedback onset was used to determine reward valuation. Results showed that response time, contingent negative variation, and the reward positivity were not influenced by energy expenditure (remaining seated vs. standing up). This null effect of conditions was confirmed using equivalence tests. These results do not support the theory of energetic cost minimization but the equivalent effect of sitting and standing on reward-related brain activity is new knowledge that could contribute to shed light on the neural processes underlying the pandemic of physical inactivity. • Participants pursued and earned rewards linked to remaining seated and standing up. • Reward pursuit and reward valuation was measured via response time and EEG. • Whether reward was linked to sitting or standing did not affect reward pursuit. • Whether reward was linked to sitting or standing did not affect reward valuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor neighborhood conditions are associated with lower levels of physical activity for older adults but socio-ecological models posit that physical activity depends on both environmental and individual factors. Older adults' ability to overcome environmental barriers to physical activity may partially rely on cognitive resources. However, evidence on the moderating role of these cognitive resources in the associations between environmental barriers and physical activity is still lacking. We analyzed cross-national and longitudinal data on 28,393 adults aged 50 to 96 years as part of the SHARE. Lack of access to services and neighborhood nuisances were used as indicators of poor neighborhood conditions. Delayed recall and verbal fluency were used as indicators of cognitive resources. Confounder-adjusted generalized estimation equations were conducted to test associations between neighborhood conditions and self-reported moderate physical activity, as well as the moderating role of cognitive resources. Results showed that poor neighborhood conditions reduced the odds of engagement in physical activity. Cognitive resources robustly reduced the adverse influence of poor neighborhood conditions on physical activity. Participants with lower cognitive resource scores showed lower odds of engaging in physical activity when neighborhood conditions were poorer, whereas these conditions were not related to this engagement for participants with higher cognitive resource scores. These findings suggest that cognitive resources can temper the detrimental effect of poor neighborhood conditions on physical activity. Public policies should target both individual and environmental factors to tackle the current pandemic of physical inactivity more comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]