Interaction of Physical Activity and Respiratory Function on Mental Health in Older Adults

This study explored the interaction between physical activity, respiratory function, and mental health among older adults using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging. Specifically, the effects of physical activity and respiratory function indicators, including percent vital capacity and the ratio of Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second to Forced Vital Capacity, on depressive symptoms and life satisfaction were analyzed using structural equation modeling, with adjustments for selection bias via inverse probability weighting. A longitudinal cohort design was employed, involving 1,519 participants aged 65 years or older, with data from waves 2 and 6. The results indicated a significant negative association between physical activity and depressive symptoms, suggesting the potential benefits of physical activity in alleviating mental health issues. However, while respiratory function measures had a limited impact on depressive symptoms, adding error covariances between respiratory indicators improved the model fit, highlighting their potential relevance to mental health research. The clinical implications of these findings suggest that physical activity combined with respiratory rehabilitation may be beneficial in older adults. Future research should focus on causal mechanisms, confounding factor adjustments, and comparative studies across cultural contexts to broaden the generalizability.