Author(s): ANTEE, M., YIP, K., CASTELLI, D., Institution: NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY, Country: UNITED STATES, Abstract-ID: 2483

INTRODUCTION:
Physical activity and sleep are modifiable behaviors linked to mental health and well-being. While both are often targeted in lifestyle interventions, their independent associations with depressive symptom profiles remain unclear, especially for anhedonia, the loss of interest in activities that once brought pleasure. Anhedonia affects approximately 55-60% of individuals with major depressive disorder and represents a clinically significant symptom domain. This study examined the predictive relationship between objectively measured daily physical activity, self-reported sleep quality, and anhedonic depressive symptoms among adults living in Central Texas.
METHODS:
Seventy adults (59 female; age 22-54 years, mean 33.6 ± 6.5) from the Whole Community Whole Health (WCWH) longitudinal study completed the Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (MASQ), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and wore a Fitbit Sense device for 30 days. Sleep quality was assessed using both the PSQI and daily ecological momentary assessments (EMAs). Mean daily steps were calculated from at least 10 valid wear days and analyzed in 1,000-step increments. Multiple linear regression examined associations of daily steps and sleep quality with anhedonic depression (MASQ-AD), adjusting for age, sex, and number of valid wear days.
RESULTS:
The overall model was significant (R² = 0.20, p = 0.012). Poorer sleep quality was independently associated with higher anhedonic depression (β = 1.56, SE = 0.46, p = 0.001). In contrast, daily step count was not significantly associated with anhedonia (β = 1.16 per 1,000 steps, p = 0.093). Age, sex, and valid wear days were not significant predictors.
CONCLUSION:
Sleep quality, but not daily step volume, was independently associated with anhedonic depressive symptoms among the adults. These findings suggest that sleep may be a more robust behavioral correlate of this specific depressive symptom domain than total daily step count. Exercise-based health promotion strategies aiming to improve well-being may benefit from integrating sleep-focused components alongside physical activity recommendations. Future research should examine whether sleep interventions can reduce anhedonic symptoms in at-risk populations and explore how the balance of rest and activity within 24-hour cycles relates to both sleep and depressive symptoms.