Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32811468›Full record

SynthesisBMC public health2020

Exercise interventions for the prevention of depression: a systematic review of meta-analyses.

Mandy X Hu, David Turner, Ellen Generaal, Daniel Bos, M Kamran Ikram, M Arfan Ikram, Pim Cuijpers, Brenda W J H Penninx

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC public health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 112 papers, 17 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
112citing papers in PubMed, 17 pooled it
14.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
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

112 citing papers in PubMed, 17 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 230 citations in OpenAlex.

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52 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Mandy X HuDepartment of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Oldenaller 1, 1081 HJ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. x.hu@113.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4496-8772
David TurnerDepartment of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Ellen GeneraalDepartment of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Oldenaller 1, 1081 HJ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Daniel BosDepartment of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
M Kamran IkramDepartment of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
M Arfan IkramDepartment of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Pim CuijpersDepartment of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Brenda W J H PenninxDepartment of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Oldenaller 1, 1081 HJ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Amsterdam University Medical Centers · NLErasmus MC · NLVrije Universiteit Amsterdam · NL

Funding

Hersenstichting GH-2017-00238
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundExercise may be a promising target for depression interventions. However, evidence for a beneficial effect of exercise interventions on the prevention of depression differs substantially across different studies.

methodsA systematic search was performed up to July 2018 using PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cochrane. Articles were included if a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was performed that examined the effect of exercise interventions on the onset of depression or depressive symptoms in the general population. Meta-analyses focusing on treatment of diagnosed depression were excluded. Two authors independently screened the articles and graded the quality of included meta-analyses using AMSTAR 2.

resultsEight meta-analyses were included that showed little overlap in 134 included studies. All meta-analyses reported on depressive symptoms rather than onset of depression. Five of these were rated as moderate quality and three of low quality. Six meta-analyses found significant effects, and two found non-significant effects of exercise interventions in reducing depressive symptoms in children, adolescents, adults and the elderly (effect sizes ranging from - 0.10 to - 0.81). Scarce evidence did not allow to draw conclusions about the role of sex and characteristics of exercise on depression. However, some findings suggest that low intensity exercise was as effective as high intensity exercise. Heterogeneity among primary studies was high, likely caused by differences in study quality and exercise characteristics.

conclusionsThe evidence from this study suggests that exercise interventions have a beneficial effect on depressive symptoms in the general population across a wide age-range.

Indexed as

Exercise TherapyDepressionHumansMeta-Analysis as TopicTreatment OutcomeDepressionMeta-analysisPhysical activityRandomized controlled trialSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID32811468
PMCPMC7436997
OpenAlexW3067163316

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.