Daily Dose: Pediatric Depression and Exercise

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On February 8, 2023, we reported on a systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA Pediatrics that assessed the association of physical activity interventions with depressive symptoms in children and adolescents.

The study

Investigators searched PubMed, PsychINFO, and other databases for studies that assessed the effects of aerobic-type physical activity interventions on depressive symptoms in children and adolescents aged <19 years compared with a control condition (eg, no treatment, waiting list, education/attention control, or treatment as usual). Researchers performed a random-effects meta-analysis using Hedges g and used meta-regressions and sensitivity analyses to substantiate the overall findings.

The primary outcome was depressive symptoms as measured by validated depression scales at postintervention and follow-up. Overall, 21 studies involving 2441 participants (47% boys, 53% girls) were included in the analysis. At baseline, the mean age of participants was 14 years.

When the research team conducted a meta-analysis of the postintervention differences, they found that physical activity was associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms compared with the control condition (g=-0.29, 95% CI, -0.47 to -0.10; P=.004). Secondary analyses demonstrated that 3 physical activity sessions per week and interventions that were <12 weeks in duration induced greater benefits on depressive symptoms compared with other frequencies and durations. Reductions in depressive symptoms were greater in participants aged ≥13 years and in those with a mental illness and/or depression diagnosis at baseline.

Note from authors

"The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that physical activity interventions can alleviate symptoms of depression in children and adolescents...Future studies should investigate the influence of physical activity parameters such as frequency, duration, and supervision of the sessions to determine the optimal dose and mode of delivery of the intervention for depressive symptom management."

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