Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40361014›Full record

SynthesisBMC public health2025

Cost-effectiveness of physical activity-oriented interventions for improving mental health: a systematic review.

Noara Alhusseini, Tracy Kuo Lin, Kalin Werner, George Lin, Yasmin Altwaijri, Baian A Baattaiah, Tim Bruckner, Reem AlAhmed, Abdulrahman Alkabbani, Reem F Alsukait and 3 more

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

13 authors.

Noara AlhusseiniCollege of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Tracy Kuo LinInstitute for Health & Aging, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. tracy.lin@ucsf.edu.
Kalin WernerInstitute for Health & Aging, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
George LinDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
Yasmin AltwaijriBiostatistics, Epidemiology and Scientific Computing Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Baian A BaattaiahDepartment of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Tim BrucknerPublic Health, Center for Population, Inequality and Policy, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Reem AlAhmedBiostatistics, Epidemiology and Scientific Computing Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulrahman AlkabbaniDepartment of Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Reem F AlsukaitWorld Bank Group, Washington, D.C, USA.
Volkan CetinkayaWorld Bank Group, Washington, D.C, USA.
Hazzaa M Al-HazzaaLifestyle and Health Research Center, Health Sciences Research Center, Princess Nourah Bint, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Saleh A AlqahtaniLiver, Digestive, and Lifestyle Health Research Section, and Organ Transplant Center of Excellence, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

questionAre physical activity-oriented interventions for improving mental health conditions cost-effective? This study systematically identified and summarized published evidence on the cost-effectiveness of physical activity-oriented interventions for improving mental health conditions. STUDY SELECTION AND ANALYSIS: We searched four databases (PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, PsychArticles, PsychINFO) for published studies (from any time and region) that (1) assessed physical activity-oriented interventions in mental health disorders, (2) undertook a full economic evaluation (and specifically cost-effectiveness analysis or cost-utility analysis), and (3) were in English. Data were extracted from included studies using a predetermined 32-item matrix using the Covidence software platform.

findingsSearch and screening resulted in 11 studies eligible for inclusion. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio ranged from £119 to £152,822 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Physical activity interventions, including group sessions, such as dance exercise and walking, or one-on-one support through telephone or web-based personalized support and guidance, were found to be cost-effective. However, over half of the interventions (55%) were considered to be not cost-effective.

conclusionsOur review found that the current evidence is insufficient to conclude whether physical activity-oriented interventions for mental health are a cost-effective when compared with the standard of care of other treatment types. Better designed studies focusing on specific mental health conditions and physical activity interventions that address cost-effectiveness analysis are warranted. Physical activity-oriented interventions for improving mental health should adopt low-cost implementation strategies and include behavioral economics components.

Indexed as

ExerciseHealth PromotionMental DisordersMental HealthCost-Benefit AnalysisHumansQuality-Adjusted Life YearsCost-effectivenessExerciseIncremental cost-effectiveness ratioMental healthPhysical activity

Identifiers

PMID40361014
PMCPMC12070520

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.