Search

To investigate the mediating role of social network size and perceived quality in the associations of physical activity with quality of life and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults. We analyzed information of 10,569 middle-aged and older adults from waves 2 (2006–2007), 4 (2011–2012), and 6 (2015) of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe study (SHARE). Data on physical activity (moderate and vigorous intensities), social network (size and quality), depressive symptoms (EURO-D scale), and quality of life (CASP) were self-reported. Sex, age, country of residency, schooling, occupational status, mobility, and baseline values of the outcome were used as covariates. We created mediation models to test the mediating effect of social network size and quality in the association between physical activity and depressive symptoms. Social network size partly mediated the association between vigorous physical activity and depressive symptoms (7.1%; 95%CI: 1.7–12.6) as well as the association between moderate (9.9%; 1.6–19.7) and vigorous (8.1%; 0.7–15.4) physical activity and quality of life. Social network quality did not mediate any of the associations tested. We conclude that social network's size, but not satisfaction, mediates part of the association of physical activity with depressive symptoms and quality of life in middle-aged and older adults. Future physical activity interventions among middle-aged and older adults should consider increasing social interactions to facilitate benefits for mental health-related outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigate the association of fear of movement and (re)injury with clinical outcomes in women with patellofemoral pain (PFP). This cross-sectional study included 92 women with PFP who completed the TAMPA scale for kinesiophobia. The TAMPA score and its two subscales – activity avoidance and somatic focus were correlated with BMI, physical activity level, pain catastrophizing scale, health-related quality of life, pain sensitivity via pressure pain threshold, self-reported disability, and worst knee pain in last month. Greater fear of movement and (re)injury, activity avoidance, and somatic focus were correlated with lower local pain sensitivity (rho = −0.29 to −0.55), lower health-related quality of life (rho = −0.38 to −0.42), greater pain catastrophizing (rho = 0.41 to 0.47), and greater self-reported disability (rho = −0.31 to −0.52). Greater fear of movement and (re)injury and activity avoidance were correlated with adjacent and remote pain sensitivity (rho = −0.24 to −0.39). Greater fear of movement and (re)injury and somatic focus were correlated with greater worst knee pain in last month (rho = 0.21 to 0.32). Fear of movement and (re)injury predicted pain measures, disability, and health-related quality of life (p ≤ 0.010). The relationship of greater fear of movement and (re)injury with greater disability, pain catastrophizing, pain sensitization, and poorer health-related quality of life highlights the potential importance of considering this psychological feature of PFP during assessment and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]