Artificial Light at Night and Depression Risk
Author Information
Author(s): Chen Manman, Zhao Yuankai, Lu Qu, Ye Zichen, Bai Anying, Xie Zhilan, Zhang Daqian, Jiang Yu
Primary Institution: School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College
Hypothesis
This study aimed to evaluate the pooled associations between outdoor and indoor artificial light at night exposures and the risk of depression.
Conclusion
Both outdoor and indoor artificial light at night exposures are associated with an increased risk of depression.
Supporting Evidence
- A 1 nW/cm2/sr increase in outdoor ALAN was associated with a 0.43% increase in depression risk.
- A 1 lux increase in indoor ALAN was associated with a 3.29% increase in depression risk.
- Subgroup analyses indicated no significant sources of heterogeneity for outdoor ALAN.
- Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings.
- Moderate to high quality was assessed for all included studies.
Takeaway
Being exposed to artificial light at night can make people feel more sad or depressed. This study looked at many people to see how light affects mood.
Methodology
Systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published before May 1st, 2024, following PRISMA guidelines.
Potential Biases
Evidence of publication bias was observed for studies on outdoor ALAN.
Limitations
The limited number of studies and geographical distributions may restrict the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
The studies included a diverse population with a total of 560,219 participants from various countries.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 0.21%, 0.65% for outdoor ALAN; 95% CI: 0.85%, 5.79% for indoor ALAN
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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