BACKGROUND: Antenatal depression can have harmful consequences for the mother and fetus. Exercise may be a useful intervention to prevent and treat antenatal depression. OBJECTIVES: This systematic review aims to establish whether there is sufficient evidence to conclude that exercise is an effective intervention for preventing and treating antenatal depression. SEARCH STRATEGY: Searches using electronic databases from MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, EMBASE, AMED and PsycINFO were performed. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCT) that compared any type of exercise intervention with any comparator in pregnant women were eligible for inclusion. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Meta-analysis was performed calculating standardised mean differences (SMD). MAIN RESULTS: Six trials (seven comparisons) were eligible for inclusion. Meta-analysis showed a significant reduction in depression scores (SMD -0.46, 95% CI -0.87 to -0.05, P = 0.03, I(2) = 68%) for exercise interventions relative to comparator groups. The test for subgroup differences in women who were non-depressed (one trial) (SMD -0.74, 95%CI -1.22 to -0.27, P = 0.002) and depressed (five trials) (SMD -0.41, 95% CI -0.88 to 0.07, P = 0.09) at baseline was not significant (P = 0.32). The test for subgroup differences between aerobic (one trial) and non-aerobic exercise (five trials) was also nonsignificant (P = 0.32). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: We found some evidence that exercise may be effective in treating depression during pregnancy but this conclusion is based on a small number of low-moderate quality trials with significant heterogeneity and wide confidence intervals.
BACKGROUND: Antenatal depression can have harmful consequences for the mother and fetus. Exercise may be a useful intervention to prevent and treat antenatal depression. OBJECTIVES: This systematic review aims to establish whether there is sufficient evidence to conclude that exercise is an effective intervention for preventing and treating antenatal depression. SEARCH STRATEGY: Searches using electronic databases from MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, EMBASE, AMED and PsycINFO were performed. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCT) that compared any type of exercise intervention with any comparator in pregnant women were eligible for inclusion. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Meta-analysis was performed calculating standardised mean differences (SMD). MAIN RESULTS: Six trials (seven comparisons) were eligible for inclusion. Meta-analysis showed a significant reduction in depression scores (SMD -0.46, 95% CI -0.87 to -0.05, P = 0.03, I(2) = 68%) for exercise interventions relative to comparator groups. The test for subgroup differences in women who were non-depressed (one trial) (SMD -0.74, 95%CI -1.22 to -0.27, P = 0.002) and depressed (five trials) (SMD -0.41, 95% CI -0.88 to 0.07, P = 0.09) at baseline was not significant (P = 0.32). The test for subgroup differences between aerobic (one trial) and non-aerobic exercise (five trials) was also nonsignificant (P = 0.32). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: We found some evidence that exercise may be effective in treating depression during pregnancy but this conclusion is based on a small number of low-moderate quality trials with significant heterogeneity and wide confidence intervals.
Authors: Alexandra L Nowak; Carmen Giurgescu; Thomas N Templin; Rhonda K Dailey; Dawn P Misra Journal: J Urban Health Date: 2020-02 Impact factor: 3.671
Authors: Devon Sneed; Purni M Abeysekara; Jaime C Slaughter-Acey; Carmen Giurgescu; Rhonda Dailey; Dawn P Misra Journal: J Racial Ethn Health Disparities Date: 2021-03-04
Authors: Matteo C Sattler; Judith G M Jelsma; Annick Bogaerts; David Simmons; Gernot Desoye; Rosa Corcoy; Juan M Adelantado; Alexandra Kautzky-Willer; Jürgen Harreiter; Frans A van Assche; Roland Devlieger; Goele Jans; Sander Galjaard; David Hill; Peter Damm; Elisabeth R Mathiesen; Ewa Wender-Ozegowska; Agnieszka Zawiejska; Kinga Blumska; Annunziata Lapolla; Maria G Dalfrà; Alessandra Bertolotto; Fidelma Dunne; Dorte M Jensen; Lise Lotte T Andersen; Frank J Snoek; Mireille N M van Poppel Journal: BMC Pregnancy Childbirth Date: 2017-12-04 Impact factor: 3.007