The Effect of Muscular Strength on Depression Symptoms in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Adilson Marques, Diego Gomez-Baya, Miguel Peralta, Diana Frasquilho, Teresa Santos, João Martins, Gerson Ferrari and Margarida Gaspar de Matos
Additional contact information
Adilson Marques: CIPER, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, 1499-002 Lisbon, Portugal
Diego Gomez-Baya: Escuela de Doctorado, Universidad de Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain
Miguel Peralta: CIPER, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, 1499-002 Lisbon, Portugal
Diana Frasquilho: Champalimaud Clinical Center, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
Teresa Santos: ISAMB, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
João Martins: CIPER, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, 1499-002 Lisbon, Portugal
Gerson Ferrari: Laboratorio de Ciencias de la Actividad Física, el Deporte y la Salud, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago 8320000, Chile
Margarida Gaspar de Matos: ISAMB, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 16, 1-13

Abstract: The aim was to systematically review the relationship between muscular strength (MS) and depression symptoms (DS) among adults, and conduct a meta-analysis to determine the pooled odds ratio (OR) for the relationship between MS and DS. The strategies employed in this systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies published up to December 2019 were systematically identified by searching in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science electronic databases. Inclusion criteria were: (1) cross-sectional, longitudinal and intervention studies; (2) outcomes included depression or DS; (3) participants were adults and older adults; and (4) the articles were published in English, French, Portuguese, or Spanish. A total of 21 studies were included in the review, totalling 87,508 adults aged ≥18 years, from 26 countries. The systematic review findings suggest that MS has a positive effect on reducing DS. Meta-analysis findings indicate that MS is inversely and significantly related to DS 0.85 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.89). Interventions aiming to improve MS have the potential to promote mental health and prevent depression. Thus, public health professionals could use MS assessment and improvement as a strategy to promote mental health and prevent depression.

Keywords: anxiety; mental health; handgrip; fitness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:16:p:5674-:d:395164

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