Cross-national differences in the association between physical activity and depressive symptoms in later life: longitudinal evidence from China and the United States

Population aging is driving a mental health crisis among older adults that crosses national borders and
social strata, and late-life depression poses an unprecedented challenge to public health systems
worldwide. How physical activity shapes depressive symptoms over time in older populations, and
whether that influence differs across macro-level national contexts, remains to be clarified. This study
examines longitudinally the longitudinal association of physical activity on depressive symptoms in older
adults.