Table 1 Summary of meta-analyses included in the current study
From: Exercise interventions for the prevention of depression: a systematic review of meta-analyses
Meta-analyses | Target population | Setting | Exercise intervention (mode, frequency, duration) | Control comparison | Depression outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brown et al. 2013 [19] | Children and adolescents between 5–19 years | Most included studies targeted at-risk (clinically overweight young people or criminally institutionalized youth offenders) groups for depression. | Aerobics, fitness, yoga; 3–7 times/week; 12–28 weeks | Non-physical control group | Depressive symptoms measured by several depression rating scales |
Carter et al. 2016 [25] | Adolescents between 13–17 years | Included studies targeted high school students from the general population. | Dance, yoga, other sports; 1–4 times/week; 9–40 weeks | Continued regular exercise or no exercise control group | Depressive symptoms measured by several depression rating scales |
Conn 2010 [18] | Adults ≥18 years | Included studies targeted healthy adults without acute or chronic physical or mental illness. Studies targeting subjects with clinical depression or subjects that scored above a primary study specified depressive symptom criterion score were excluded. | Supervised and unsupervised exercise; mean of 3 times/week; 1 day – 1 year | Any control | Depressive symptoms measured by several depression rating scales |
Forsman et al. 2011 [20] | Elderly people ≥65 years | Included studies targeted the general older adult population, older adults at risk for depression, or those who already suffer from subclinical symptoms of depression but did not fulfill the diagnostic criteria for a depressive disorder. | All types of exercise. No details provided. | Care as usual, waiting list, or no-intervention control | Depressive symptoms measured by several depression rating scales |
Gordon et al. 2018 [26] | No criteria reported | Healthy population with no physical or mental illness | Resistance exercise training; 2–7 times/week; 6–52 weeks | No treatment, wait list, usual care, or patient education | Depressive symptoms measured by several depression rating scales |
Larun et al. 2006 [27] | Children and adolescents ≤20 years | Included studies targeting general child/adolescent populations within all kinds of settings. Trials involving psychotic or borderline conditions, autism, physical handicap, eating disorders or chronic somatic diseases were excluded. | Running, aerobics, resistance training, fitness; 3 times/week; 6–40 weeks | Waiting list, non-intervention group, a low intensity exercise group or a psychosocial intervention group | Depressive symptoms measured by several depression rating scales |
Park et al. 2014 [28] | Elderly people ≥65y | Included studies targeted elderly people who did not have disorders of orientation and who were capable of independent living. | Aerobics, walking, balance exercise, resistance training, Qigong, Tai chi; 1–3 times/week; 4 weeks – 1 year | No treatment/placebo or any other type of non-exercising intervention | Depressive symptoms measured by several depression rating scales |
Rethorst et al. 2009 [17] | No criteria reported | Non-specified general population. | Aerobic or resistance training, or combined; 3–5 times/week; 4 weeks – 1 year | No-treatment or wait-list control | Depressive symptoms measured by several depression rating scales |