Diabetes & Metabolism Journal

Original Article

Lifestyle and Behavioral Interventions
Association between Changes in Physical Activity and Incident Depression among Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Sangwoo Park, Back Kim, Hye Jun Kim, Sun Jae Park, Jihun Song, Jina Chung, Seogsong Jeong, Sang Min Park, Dae Ho Lee, Soo Jung Choi; Diabetes Metab J. 2026;50(4):785-796. Published online February 23, 2026; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4093/dmj.2025.0766

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Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub: Background
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between changes in physical activity patterns following a new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the risk of developing depression.
Methods
This study used comprehensive diabetes data from the National Health Insurance Service of South Korea. From this dataset, we included 254,619 individuals newly diagnosed with T2DM between 2009 and 2015 who had health examination data within 2 years before and after their diagnosis date and no prior history of depression. Physical activity levels were quantified using the metabolic equivalent of task (MET) method.
Results
Compared with individuals with 0 MET-min/wk of physical activity before a new T2DM diagnosis, those who increased their activity levels to 500–999 MET-min/wk after diagnosis showed a 23% reduction in the risk of depression, while an increase to ≥1,000 MET-min/wk was associated with a 25% reduction in depression risk. Conversely, individuals with 1–499 MET-min/wk before diagnosis who became inactive after diagnosis experienced a 25% increased risk of depression. A similar trend toward increased depression risk was observed among those who reduced their physical activity from 500–999 or ≥1,000 MET-min/wk.
Conclusion
Changes in physical activity levels before and after a new diagnosis of T2DM significantly influence the risk of developing depression, with increased activity reducing the risk and decreased activity elevating it. This finding underscores the importance of encouraging physical activity to support mental health in patients with newly diagnosed T2DM.

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