Associations of physical activity with depressiveness and coping in subjects with high-grade obesity aiming at bariatric surgery: a cross-sectional study

Ulf Elbelt, Anne Ahnis, Andrea Riedl, Silke Burkert, Tatjana Schuetz, Juergen Ordemann, Christian J. Strasburger, Burghard F. Klapp

Reduced physical activity is supposed to be associated with depressiveness and more passive coping patterns. For further evaluation of this assumed relation we studied energy expenditure due to physical activity - usually referred to as activity thermogenesis (AT) - together with depressiveness (clinical diagnosis, depression module of the Patient Health Questionnaire), and coping behaviours (Brief COPE Inventory) in 50 patients with high-grade obesity (42 ± 12 years; 9 with II° and 41 with III° obesity) aiming at bariatric surgery. AT was assessed with a portable armband device (SenseWear™ armband). Depressiveness and coping were assessed using validated questionnaires. Weight-adjusted non-exercise AT and intensity of physical activity (metabolic equivalent) correlated inversely with body mass index (non-exercise AT: r = -0.32, P < 0.05; mean metabolic equivalent: r = -0.37, P < 0.01) but not with depressiveness. The coping strategies "support coping" and "active coping" showed significant inverse correlations to a) weight-adjusted non-exercise AT ("support coping": r = -0.34, P < 0.05; "active coping": r = -0.36, P < 0.05), b) weight-adjusted exercise-related AT ("support coping": r = -0.36, P < 0.05; "active coping": r = -0.38, P < 0.01) and c) intensity of physical activity (for mean metabolic equivalent: "support coping": r = -0.38, P < 0.01; "active coping": r = -0.40, P < 0.01; for duration of exercise-related AT: "support coping": r = -0.36, P < 0.05; "active coping": r = -0.38, P < 0.01). AT was not associated with depressiveness. Furthermore, supposed adaptive coping strategies of individuals aiming at bariatric surgery were negatively associated with AT.