The association between sexual activity frequency and depression: The moderating role of physical activity.

Low sexual activity frequency significantly increased depression risk in adults aged 20 to 59.

• Study utilized data from 12,308 adults aged 20 to 59 from NHANES 2007 to 2016.
• Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between sexual activity frequency and depression.
• Low sexual activity frequency was identified as a significant predictor of higher depressive symptoms.
• The association was examined while controlling for physical activity and other covariates.

Regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) reduced depression risk.

• Logistic regression revealed that regular MVPA was significantly associated with reduced depression risk.
• The protective effect of MVPA on depression was observed in the full sample of 12,308 adults.
• MVPA was examined as both a predictor and a moderator variable in the analyses.
• The relationship was assessed using data spanning from 2007 to 2016 in the NHANES dataset.

Physical activity moderated the association between sexual activity frequency and depression.

• At low MVPA levels, infrequent sexual activity predicted higher depressive symptoms.
• At high MVPA levels, the association between infrequent sexual activity and depression disappeared.
• The moderation analysis suggests physical activity buffers the adverse psychological effects of low sexual activity.
• The moderating role of physical activity was examined in the full sample as well as in gender-stratified subgroup analyses.

The moderating effect of physical activity on the sexual activity frequency–depression association was evident among males but not females.

• Subgroup analyses were conducted to examine sex-specific differences in the moderating effect.
• The buffering effect of MVPA on the relationship between low sexual activity and depression was significant in males.
• The same moderating effect was not observed among females in subgroup analyses.
• These findings highlight potential sex-specific mechanisms underlying links between lifestyle behaviors and mental health.

The study examined lifestyle behavior and mental health relationships using a large nationally representative sample.

• The sample consisted of 12,308 adults aged 20 to 59 years drawn from NHANES surveys conducted from 2007 to 2016.
• The study investigated sexual activity frequency, physical activity (MVPA), and depression as primary variables.
• Logistic regression was the primary statistical method used to assess associations and moderation.
• The study placed particular emphasis on gender differences in its analytical approach.