A “silent emergency” is unfolding, with research from the University of Surrey highlighting a significant wealth disparity among adults aged 50 and above in terms of meeting physical activity and dietary guidelines. The study also revealed that individuals with lower incomes are nearly three times more likely to experience depression than their wealthier peers.
Published in the Journal of Public Health, the study examined data from over 3,000 adults between the ages of 50 and 90, sourced from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). The findings showed that while almost 70% of older adults engaged in some form of physical activity, there were considerable wealth-based differences. Those in the wealthiest quintile were nearly twice as likely to be physically active as those in the lowest wealth group. A similar pattern emerged regarding dietary habits, with over 70% of wealthier participants meeting the ‘5-a-day’ fruit and vegetable consumption guideline, compared to just over 40% of those in the lowest wealth group.
These disparities in physical activity and diet have significant health implications, with the research also linking them to higher depression rates. Around 19% of participants exhibited notable symptoms of depression, with the highest incidence found among women, individuals living alone, smokers, and those in lower-income groups. The depression rate in the lowest wealth group was three times higher (32.6%) than in the highest wealth group (11.1%). The study also found that regular physical activity was associated with much lower depression rates, as 30% of inactive individuals reported depression, compared to only 13.7% among those who were active. Moreover, adherence to the ‘5-a-day’ fruit and vegetable guideline was linked to a reduced depression risk, with 23.4% of those not meeting the guideline experiencing depression versus 15.7% among those who did.