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Vitamins and Minerals (Poster Session)

(P17-022-24) The Impact of Physical Activity, Sun Exposure and Vitamin D on Depressive Symptoms in the Italian Adult Population

Sunday, June 30, 2024
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM CT
Location: Poster Board 358
Disclosure(s):
Giuseppe Alessio Platania, Master's Degree in Psychology and PhD Student: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Simone Varrasi, Master's Degree in Psychology, Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), and PhD student: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: Exploring how lifestyle and dietary influence depression represents a meaningful scientific research topic, in order to enhance protective factors, yielding resilient responses. Therefore, this pilot study aimed at: 1) exploring how physical activity, sun exposure, and vitamin D intake are related to depressive symptoms in a Mediterranean-based population, and 2) hypothesizing non-pharmacological interventions to reduce depressive symptoms.

Methods: After ethical approval, 1728 participants (randomly recruited, aged 18 years or older, divided by gender and 10-year age groups) signed an informed consent and underwent a general assessment. International Physical Activity Questionnaires (IPAQ) was used to analyze physical activity level; Sunlight Exposure Measurement Questionnaire (SEM-Q) for sun exposure; Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) for dietary intakes; Center for the Epidemiological Studies of Depression Short Form (CES-D-20) for depressive symptoms. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 27.

Results: In the most adjusted model, an inverse association between physical activity level (OR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.34-0.74), sunlight exposure (OR = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.12-0.27), but not vitamin D intake (OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.61-1.13) and depressive symptoms was found.

Conclusions: As regards depressive symptoms, the results indicate that it would seem appropriate to design interventions mainly on physical activity (for example through aerobic, anaerobic and resistance exercise, which according to scientific evidence represent protective factors against depression) rather than only on vitamin D. In the latter case, in fact, further research would be needed, also considering the fact that sunlight seems to be closely related to the production of vitamin D. Future work, therefore, should focus on dietary patterns and not on individual nutrients, given that the complexity of depressive symptoms requires an evaluation of equally complex protective factors.

Funding Sources: None