The impact of aerobic exercise on depression in young people: A meta regression and meta-analysis
- Forfatter(e)
- Yang, Q., Wang, J., Lu, Y.
- År
- 2025
- Tidsskrift
- Psychology of Sport & Exercise
- Volum
- 77
- Sider
- 102803
- Kategori(er)
- Depresjon og nedstemthet (inkl. både vansker og lidelse)
- Tiltakstype(r)
- Fysisk aktivitet
- Abstract
OBJECTIVE
This systematic review aimed to 1) update the existing evidence on the antidepressant effects of aerobic exercise (AE) in youth. 2) Investigate any potential dose-response relationships between AE interventions and depressive symptom reduction. 3) Provide evidence-based insights to inform future research and clinical depression treatment.
METHODS
Employing the PRISMA and PERSiST guidelines, a comprehensive search across nine databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, SportDiscus, CINAHL, Medline, Embase, and CNKI) yielded a total of 782 relevant studies. Following rigorous selection criteria, 26 eligible studies (comprising 22 different samples) were included in the analysis, featuring a combined sample size of 1308 participants. The meta-analysis was conducted via R.
RESULTS
AE notably decreased depressive symptoms among youth [g = -0.92; 95% CI (-1.16, -0.69); p < 0.01]. Significant dose-response relationships were observed across age groups [beta = -0.06; 95% CI (-0.12, 0.00), p < 0.05], the intensity [beta = -0.03; 95% CI (-0.06, 0.00); p < 0.05], and the duration ^ 2 [beta = 0.001, 95% CI (0.001, 0.002), p < 0.05] of the AE intervention.
CONCLUSIONS
Aerobic exercise interventions can effectively alleviate depressive symptoms in youth. A moderate-intensity AE program, lasting 25-40 min and conducted three times a week for 9-15 weeks, can increase alleviation of depression.