Association between Depressive Symptoms and Preference for Exercise Intensity: A Cross-sectional Study

Exercise intensity preference—the tendency to favor a specific effort level during self-paced activity—may influence adherence and affective responses to exercise. However, the relationship between depressive symptoms and exercise intensity preference remains unclear, particularly among physically active adults. This study investigated the association between depressive symptoms and exercise intensity preference in physically active adults.

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using baseline data from the ELDAF study, which included non-faculty civil servants from a public university in Brazil. Depressive symptoms and exercise intensity preference were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Preference for and Tolerance of the Intensity of Exercise Questionnaire (PRETIE-Q), respectively.

A total of 1,160 individuals participated in the study, with 639 (55%) classified as active or very active. Among them, 6.6% exhibited depressive symptoms. No overall association was found between depressive symptoms and exercise intensity preference in either crude (p = 0.19) or adjusted (p = 0.40) models. Regarding sex distribution, 275 females (43%) and 364 males (57%) were included. Stratified analysis by sex revealed no association in females (crude: p = 0.77; adjusted: p = 0.60), but a significant association was observed in males (crude: p = 0.026; adjusted: p = 0.024).

Males may favor higher-intensity exercise as a form of behavioral activation or to elicit stronger physiological responses that help regulate mood.

Males with depressive symptoms were more likely to prefer high-intensity exercise compared to those without, whereas no such association was identified among females.