Anhedonia and 24-hour movement behaviours in adulthood

• Higher physical anhedonia in young adulthood is associated with lower daily time spent in moderate to vigorous and light physical activity in middle-aged females. • Anhedonia scales offer means for identifying individuals at risk for future mental disorders who may benefit from targeted interventions utilising physical activity. • Higher physical anhedonia in young adulthood is associated with more daily time spent in sedentary behaviour in middle-aged females. • Physical anhedonia in young adulthood may predict later 24-hour movement behaviour. This study aimed to examine the association between self-reported physical and social anhedonia in young adulthood with the composition of movement behaviours in a 24-h cycle, including physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep. Participants from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 who participated in the 31-year and 46-year follow-up studies were included ( n = 2826). Anhedonia was measured at age 31 using the Physical Anhedonia Scale and the Social Anhedonia Scale. At age 46, physical activity and sedentary behaviour were measured using an accelerometer, and sleep was self-reported. Compositional data analysis was used to examine the association between anhedonia and the composition of 24-h movement behaviour. Physical anhedonia at age 31 was significantly associated with the composition of 24-h movement behaviour at age 46. Higher physical anhedonia was associated with lower daily time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity and light physical activity, as well as more daily time spent in sedentary behaviour in middle-aged females, but not in males. No significant association between social anhedonia and 24-h movement behaviour was found in either gender. Anhedonia and sleep were self-reported, which may introduce bias. Findings contribute to the understanding of physical anhedonia as a potential predictor of later 24-h movement behaviour. Anhedonia scales can be used to identify individuals at risk for mental disorders who may benefit from targeted interventions utilizing physical activity. This knowledge can be applied in various sectors of healthcare to enhance 24-h movement behaviour at both individual and population levels.