Sedentary behavior as discriminator of common mental disorders in elderly

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze sedentary behavior (SB) as a discriminator of the Common Mental Disorders (CMD) among the elderly. Methods A cross-sectional study including 310 elderly individuals living in the municipality of Ibicuí-BA. Data were collected using a questionnaire addressing sociodemographic characteristics, physical inactivity during free time and self-reported questions about the time spent sitting during a typical weekday and weekend. A Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was used to estimate the cut-off point of SB as a discrimination of CMD. Results The general prevalence of CMD was 55.8%, and was higher among women (66,7%). The highest values for the area under the ROC curves among SB and CMD was for males: SB/day 0,58 (95% IC = 0,49-0,67). The proposed cutoff points for SB/day were: men: > 330 min/day, women: > 300 min/day. Conclusion Sedentary behavior is a valid indicator for the identification of suspected CMD in the elderly, showing to be a risk factor that should be observed by health professionals.