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Cited by 313Physical Activity and HealthChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentObesity, Physical Activity, Diet

Physical Activity Interventions and Depression in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Brown, Helen Elizabeth, Pearson, Natalie, Braithwaite, Rock E., Brown, Wendy J., Biddle, Stuart J. H.·2013·Sports Medicine
DOI 10.1007/s40279-012-0015-8
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Abstract

Context Evidence suggests chronic physical activity (PA) participation may be both protective against the onset of and beneficial for reducing depressive symptoms.Objective The aim of this article is to assess the impact of PA interventions on depression in children and adolescents using meta-analysis.Data sources Published English language studies were located from manual and computerized searches of the following databases: PsycInfo, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Trials Register of Promoting Health Interventions (TRoPHI; EPPI Centre), Web of Science and MEDLINE.Study selection Studies meeting inclusion criteria (1) reported on interventions to promote or increase PA; (2) included children aged 5-11 years and/or adolescents aged 12-19 years; (3) reported on results using a quantitative measure of depression; (4) included a non-physical control or comparison group; and (5) were published in peer-reviewed journals written in English, up to and including May 2011 (when the search was conducted).Data extraction Studies were coded for methodological, participant and study characteristics. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version-2 software was used to compute effect sizes, with subgroup analyses to identify moderating characteristics. Study quality was assessed using the Delphi technique.Results Nine studies were included (n = 581); most were school-based randomized controlled trials, randomized by individual. Studies used a variety of measurement tools to assess depressive symptoms. The summary treatment effect was small but significant (Hedges' g = -0.26, standard error = 0.09, 95% confidence intervals = -0.43, -0.08, p = 0.004). Subgroup analyses showed that methodological (e.g. studies with both education and PA intervention; those with a higher quality score; and less than 3 months in duration) and participant characteristics (e.g. single-gender studies; those targeting overweight or obese groups) contributed most to the reduction in depression.Conclusions There was a small significant overall effect for PA on depression. More outcome-focused, high-quality trials are required to effectively inform the implementation of programmes to reduce depressive symptoms in children and adolescents.

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  • Although RCTs in children and young people have shown that physical exercise can relieve depression and depressive symptoms, the dose-response relationship remains unclear.

    “Although RCTs in children and young people have shown that physical exercise can relieve depression and depressive symptoms [25, 26], the dose–response relationship remains unclear.”

    From Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of exercise on depression in adolescents (2022) · cites this paper as [26]

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Authors
Brown, H. E., Pearson, N., Braithwaite, R. E., Brown, W. J., & Biddle, S. J. H.
Affiliations
  • The University of Queensland (AU)
  • Loughborough University (GB)
  • Cal Poly Humboldt (US)
Corresponding author
Brown, Helen Elizabeth
ORCID
Venue
Sports Medicine
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2013-01-04
Volume
43
Issue
3
Pages
195-206
ISSN
  • 0112-1642 (ISSN-L)
  • 1179-2035
DOI
10.1007/s40279-012-0015-8
OpenAlex
W1909098326
Cited by
313
References
47
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 42 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 32 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 4
FWCI
2.83
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • Sports Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Victoria University Research Repository (Victoria University) (submittedVersion)
Funders
University of Queensland
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
Keywords
physical activity interventions, depression, depressive symptoms, children, adolescents, school-based intervention, overweight and obesity, intervention quality
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Child, Depression, Female, Humans, Male, Motor Activity, Exercise

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