Observational studyMedicine and science in sports and exercise2015
Association between physical activity and depressive symptoms: midlife women in SWAN.
Observational study in Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 59 citations in OpenAlex.
- Domain-specific physical activity and mental health: an updated systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis in a combined sample of 3.3 million people.British journal of sports medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of physical activity on depressive and anxiety symptoms of women in the menopausal transition and menopause: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2025Pooled it
- The Association of Cigarette Smoking With Depression and Anxiety: A Systematic Review.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco · 2017Pooled it
- Challenges Establishing the Efficacy of Exercise as an Antidepressant Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Control Group Responses in Exercise Randomised Controlled Trials.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2016Pooled it
- Correlations between depressive symptoms, verbal working memory, and physical activity in university students: evidence based on resting EEG.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
- Physical Activity and Depression in Mothers of a Child With a Special Health Care Need: Informing Future Interventions.Public health challenges · 2025Article
- Key Findings from Mental Health Research During the Menopause Transition for Racially and Ethnically Minoritized Women Living in the United States: A Scoping Review.Journal of women's health (2002) · 2024Article
- The Impact of Physical Activity and Inactivity on Cardiovascular Risk across Women's Lifespan: An Updated Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Review
- Detrimental Changes in Health during Menopause: The Role of Physical Activity.International journal of sports medicine · 2023Review
- Physical Activity and Physical and Mental Health in Middle-Aged Adults with Down Syndrome.Journal of policy and practice in intellectual disabilities · 2022Article
- Suicidal Ideation in Major Depressed Individuals: Role of Type D Personality.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- Personalised Nutritional Plan and Resistance Exercise Program to Improve Health Parameters in Celiac Women.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Association between Type and Intensity of Physical Activity and Depression.Korean journal of family medicine · 2022Article
- Depressive Symptoms Associated With Musculoskeletal Pain in Inactive Adults During COVID-19 Quarantine.Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses · 2022Article
- Mid-Life Physical Activity and Late-Life Cognitive Performance among American Indians.Neuroepidemiology · 2022Article
- Participation in Higher Intensity Physical Activity Predicts Lower Depressive Symptom Incidence in College Students.International journal of exercise science · 2022Article
- Physical Exercise Behaviors and Depressive Symptoms Among Elderly Chinese Women: Focus on Exercise Components.Risk management and healthcare policy · 2021Article
- Rationale and Design of the Women's Health And Daily Experiences Project: Protocol for an Ecological Momentary Assessment Study to Identify Real-Time Predictors of Midlife Women's Physical Activity.JMIR research protocols · 2020Article
- Mid-life predictors of late-life depressive symptoms; determining risk factors spanning two decades in the Women's Heathy Ageing Project.Women's midlife health · 2020Article
- Psychosocial and health-related risk factors for depressive symptom trajectories among midlife women over 15 years: Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN).Psychological medicine · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
introductionThe relation of physical activity (PA) and positive mood has been the focus of considerable research, which were primarily cross-sectional. This study was done to evaluate the relation between PA and high depressive symptoms across time and to examine whether being physically active attenuates the risk of depressive symptoms in midlife women.
methodsThe present study is a longitudinal observational study on the menopausal transition in a multiethnic population. Ten years of data on 2891 women were analyzed. The participants were women from seven geographic areas nationwide, age 42-52 yr at baseline, still menstruating, and not using exogenous reproductive hormones. PA was measured with the Kaiser Permanente Physical Activity Scale. The main outcome measure, depressive symptoms, was assessed with the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), with primary outcome of CES-D score of 16 or higher.
resultsIn mixed effect logistic regression models adjusted for covariates, compared with inactivity, PA meeting PA guidelines (approximating public health guidelines) and PA below PA guidelines were each associated with lower risk of high depressive symptoms (CES-D score of 16 or higher) (odds ratio, 0.52; 95% confidence interval, 0.40-0.70; and odds ratio, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.67-0.98, respectively] across 10 yr. Being married, Japanese and Hispanic ethnicity, current smoking, reporting very upsetting life events, using antidepressive medications, having hot flashes, and high body mass index were all positively associated with high depressive symptoms, whereas high social support was negatively associated.
conclusionsHigher PA was associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms persistently over 10 yr, independent of potential confounders. Our findings suggest that reaching moderate-intensity PA levels during midlife may be protective against depressive symptoms.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.