Meta-Analysis of 37 RCTs on Exercise for Non-Severe Depression

37 randomized controlled trials with 3,110 participants provide evidence for exercise as an intervention for mild-to-moderate and subthreshold depression. The meta-analysis, published by Duanying Li in April 2026, reports a large pooled effect size (Hedges’ g = -0.86) and compares efficacy across aerobic, mind–body, and resistance exercise modalities.

Use Cases

• Training models to predict intervention efficacy based on exercise type and participant characteristics described in the study.
• Conducting secondary statistical analysis on the pooled effect sizes and heterogeneity metrics reported.
• Building a knowledge base for evidence-based recommendations on exercise prescriptions for depression.

Strengths

• Systematic review adhering to PRISMA guidelines, sourced from 5 major databases.
• Includes data from 37 RCTs, representing 3,110 unique participants and 3,922 observations.
• Provides specific effect sizes (Hedges’ g) and heterogeneity (I²) for different exercise subgroups.

Limitations

• The dataset is a single 8.5 KB PDF file; the underlying trial-level data is not provided.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred from the published text.
• The study notes a 'Low' GRADE certainty of evidence and potential publication bias.

Provenance

Source

Duanying Li via figshare

Collection Method

Systematic literature review and meta-analysis of published randomized controlled trials.

Time Range

Literature search up to January 25, 2026.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-14 09:47:47

Geography

Global (trials from international databases).