Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30541522›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2018

The association between physical activity and symptoms of depression in different contexts - a cross-sectional study of Norwegian adolescents.

Annette Løvheim Kleppang, Ingeborg Hartz, Miranda Thurston, Curt Hagquist

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In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
42citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

42 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  8. Declining Outdoor Recreation and Increased Use of Fitness Centers Among Norwegian Adolescents, 2010-2019.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Annette Løvheim KleppangFaculty of Social and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Elverum, Terningen Arena, PO Box 400, 2418, Elverum, Norway. annette.kleppang@inn.no.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3844-4745
Ingeborg HartzDivision of Epidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
Miranda ThurstonFaculty of Social and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Elverum, Terningen Arena, PO Box 400, 2418, Elverum, Norway.
Curt HagquistFaculty of Social and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Elverum, Terningen Arena, PO Box 400, 2418, Elverum, Norway.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe purpose was to analyse the association between physical activity taking place in different contexts (sports club, gym, exercise independently and other organized physical activities) and symptoms of depression.

methodsThe study was based on self-reported cross-sectional data from the Ungdata survey, conducted in 2017 by the Norwegian Social Research (NOVA) institute in cooperation with regional centres for drug rehabilitation. The target group comprised 5531 15-16 years old adolescents (Grade 10 students) and 11,655 students in grades 8 and 9 in Norway. Based on Rasch analysis, six items on depressions symptoms were used to create a composite measure of depression. Binomial logistic regression was used to analyse the association between physical activities in different contexts and symptoms of depression.

resultsIn the crude model, the odds for symptoms of depression were lower for those who were physically active in a sports club (OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.30-0.53), in a sports club and gym (OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.28-0.56), in a sports club and exercise or keep fit independently (OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.38-0.72) and in a sports club, gym and exercise or keep fit independently (OR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.41-0.81). After adjustment for potential confounders, the association became significant only for those who were physically active in a sports club (OR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.40-0.81) and other organized physical activities, e.g. dance, martial arts (OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.31-0.86). Analysis for grade 8 and 9 showed the same patterns for the associations between sports club and symptoms of depression (grade 8: crude model, OR: 0.47, adjusted model, OR: 0.63, grade 9: crude model, OR: 0.44, adjusted model, OR: 0.49).

conclusionsPhysical activity in a sports club was associated with significantly lower odds for symptoms of depression, suggesting a possible role for social interaction in addition to physical activity per se. It is important, therefore, to consider in which types of contexts physical activities take place, not only focusing on physical activity frequency and volume when investigating the association between adolescents' physical activity and mental health. Additional research is needed to further explore these associations as well as measures of physical activity and mental health.

Indexed as

AdolescentCross-Sectional StudiesDepressionExerciseFemaleHumansMaleNorwaySportsStudentsSurveys and QuestionnairesAdolescentInformal group and team sport contextPhysical activitySymptoms of depression

Identifiers

PMID30541522
PMCPMC6292029

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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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.