Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40987974›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of behavioral medicine2026

The Effects of Physical Activity Intervention on Depression Symptoms in Children and Adolescents: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Shaodi Ma, Haixia Liu, Peng Xie, Chenyu Sun, Muzi Meng, Yuemeng Jiang, Birong Wu, Juan Gao, Linya Feng, Weihang Xia and 2 more

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of behavioral medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 2 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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
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

12 authors.

Shaodi Ma *Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, P. R. China.
Haixia Liu *Department of Public Health and Pathogen Biology, School of Life Sciences, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, Anhui, P. R. China.
Peng Xie *Nanxun Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Huzhou, 313009, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
Chenyu SunDepartment of General Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No. 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, P. R. China.
Muzi MengUK Program Site, American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Vernon Building Room 64, Sizer St, Preston, PR1 1JQ, UK.
Yuemeng JiangDepartment of Infectious Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University North District, No. 100 Huaihai Dadao, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, P. R. China.
Birong WuDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public, Health Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, P. R. China.
Juan GaoDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public, Health Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, P. R. China.
Linya FengDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public, Health Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, P. R. China.
Weihang XiaDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public, Health Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, P. R. China.
Guangbo QuDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public, Health Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, P. R. China.
Yehuan SunDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public, Health Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, P. R. China. yhsun_ahmu_edu@yeah.net.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8651-8059

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeDepression is the second most prevalent mental disease among adolescents, yet only a small percentage seek or receive treatment for the disease. Physical activity (PA) interventions hold promise as an alternative or adjunct to clinical treatment for depression. However, previous studies have been inconsistent regarding the relationship between PA and depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of PA intervention on depressive symptoms in children and adolescents through a meta-analysis.

methodsLiterature from 10 electronic databases and 4 registries was systematically searched. Combined estimates (standardized mean difference, SMD) and 95% CIs were calculated using a random-effects model to assess the effect of PA on depressive symptoms in adolescents. Relevant subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses were also performed.

resultsResults showed that PA improved depressive symptoms in children and adolescents (SMD = -0.707, 95% CI: -0.901 to -0.514). Subgroup analyses showed that PA improved adolescent depressive symptoms in different regions, different types of PA, moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA, different single-session time PA, different frequency PA, and different duration PA.

conclusionsPA interventions could be used to reduce depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. A mixed program and vigorous-intensity PA intervention was the most effective in improving depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. The selection of a 4 to 8-week, no less than 4 times per week, single-session PA program of no more than 30 min may yield desirable results.

Indexed as

DepressionExerciseExercise TherapyAdolescentChildHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicChildren and adolescentsDepression symptomsMeta-analysisPhysical activity

Identifiers

PMID40987974

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.