Evidence for anxiety , psychological stress , psychological well-being , subjective well-being and social isolation and loneliness varied in volume and effectiveness , but no harmful effects were identified .
The setting and context of walking seems to be important variables .
Background / objectives Walking has well-established positive relationships with , and effects on , physical health .
In contrast , while poor mental health contributes substantially to global health burden , an overview of the benefits from walking has not previously been published .
We aim ed to scope the literature and present what is known , and highlight what is not known , about walking and mental health .
Effect of walking distance on 8-year incident depressive symptoms in elderly men with and without chronic disease: the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study.
OBJECTIVES To determine the effect of walking on incident depressive symptoms in elderly Japanese-American men with and without chronic disease . DESIGN Prospect i ve cohort study . SETTING The Honolulu-Asia Aging Study . PARTICIPANTS Japanese-American men aged 71 to 93 at baseline . MEASUREMENTS  Physical activity was assessed according to self-reported distance walked per day . Depressive symptoms were measured using an 11- question version of the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale ( CES-D 11 ) at the fourth examination ( n=3,196 ) and at the seventh examination 8 years later ( 1999/00 , n=1,417 ) . Presence of incident depressive symptoms was defined as a CES-D 11 score of 9 or greater or taking antidepressants at Examination 7 . Subjects with prevalent depressive symptoms at baseline were excluded . RESULTS Age-adjusted 8-year incident depressive symptoms were 13.6 % , 7.6 % , and 8.5 % for low ( < 0.25 miles/day ) , intermediate ( 0.25 - 1.5 miles/day ) , and high ( > 1.5 miles/day ) walking groups at baseline ( P=0.008 ) . Multiple logistic regression analyses , adjusted for age , education , marital status , cardiovascular risk factors , prevalent diseases , and functional impairment , showed that those in the intermediate and highest walking groups had significantly lower odds of developing 8-year incident depressive symptoms ( odds ratio (OR)=0.52 , 95 % confidence interval (CI)=0.32 - 0.83 , P=.006 and OR=0.61 , 95 % CI= 0.39 - 0.97 , P=.04 , respectively ) . Analysis found that this association was significant only in participants without chronic diseases ( coronary heart disease , cerebrovascular accident , cancer , Parkinson 's disease , dementia , or cognitive impairment ) at baseline . CONCLUSION Daily physical activity ( ≥0.25 mile/day ) is significantly associated with lower risk of 8-year incident depressive symptoms in elderly Japanese-American men without chronic disease at baseline
Evidence for anxiety , psychological stress , psychological well-being , subjective well-being and social isolation and loneliness varied in volume and effectiveness , but no harmful effects were identified .
The setting and context of walking seems to be important variables .
Background / objectives Walking has well-established positive relationships with , and effects on , physical health .
In contrast , while poor mental health contributes substantially to global health burden , an overview of the benefits from walking has not previously been published .
We aim ed to scope the literature and present what is known , and highlight what is not known , about walking and mental health .