Depression and physical activity in a sample of nigerian adolescents: levels, relationships and predictors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Physical inactivity is related to many morbidities but the evidence of its link with depression in adolescents needs further investigation in view of the existing conflicting reports.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The data for this cross-sectional study were collected from 1,100 Nigerian adolescents aged 12-17 years. Depressive symptomatology and physical activity were assessed using the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Physical Activity Questionnaire-Adolescent version (PAQ-A) respectively. Independent t tests, Pearson's Moment Correlation and Multi-level logistic regression analyses for individual and school area influences were carried out on the data at p < 0.05.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mean age of the participants was 15.20 ± 1.435 years. The prevalence of mild to moderate depression was 23.8%, definite depression was 5.7% and low physical activity was 53.8%. More severe depressive symptoms were linked with lower levels of physical activity (r = -0.82, p < 0.001) and moderate physical activity was linked with reduced risk of depressive symptoms (OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.29-0.71). The odds of having depressive symptoms were higher in older adolescents (OR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.81-3.44) and in females (OR = 2.92, 95% CI = 1.82-3.54). Females had a higher risk of low physical activity than male adolescents (OR = 2.91, 95% CI = 1.51-4.26). Being in Senior Secondary class three was a significant predictor of depressive symptoms (OR = 3.4, 95% CI = 2.55-4.37) and low physical activity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A sizable burden of depression and low physical activity existed among the studied adolescents and these were linked to both individual and school factors. Future studies should examine the effects of physical activity among clinical samples of adolescents with depression.</p

Effectiveness of Group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy on Anxiety and Depression for Nigerian Breast Cancer Patients

Breast cancer patients are particularly weighed down by a variety of emotional distresses, including anxiety and depression. While the effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) have been reported in most Western countries, less is known about the effectiveness of CBT in anxiety and depression among Nigerian women with breast cancer. The study investigated the effectiveness of a 12 weeks group CBT on anxiety and depression among Nigerian breast cancer patients. The study adopted randomized controlled Pre-test Post-test design. Thirty one women with breast cancer were randomly allocated to two groups: CBT Group (n= 16) and a Control Group (CG, n= 15). The CBT group received a 12-week 90-minute CBT session once a week, while the CG received a booklet containing information on cancer and how to cope with cancer. Assessments were carried out for both groups at baseline (pre-test), after the intervention (post-test) and 2-months Follow-Up with measures of Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS). The results showed that participants in the CBT Group had decreased in anxiety and depression significantly at post-test and 2-month follow-up compared to the participants in the CG. The implications of the study was discussed in line with the inclusion of psychological treatments such as CBT in the management of cancer patients in an oncology setting in Nigeria where such treatments are grossly lacking