Impact of Physical Exercise on Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Pre-adolescents: A Pilot Randomized Trial

Arnaud Philippot, Alexandre Meerschaut, Laura Danneaux, Gauthier Smal, Yannick Bleyenheuft, Anne G De Volder, Arnaud Philippot, Alexandre Meerschaut, Laura Danneaux, Gauthier Smal, Yannick Bleyenheuft, Anne G De Volder

Abstract

Aim: The intensity of the most appropriate exercise to use in depressed youth is unclear due to differences in methodology and the lack of evidence documenting the effect of physical activity in children. Therefore, the authors of this study attempted to document the effectiveness of different training intensities to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in pre-teens.

Methods: The study included twenty-seven, randomly selected pre-adolescents (aged between 9-11 years of age) all of whom had Primary education. The participants were enrolled and, over a 5-week period, were subject to either intensive or low-to-moderate exercise programs four times a week. Psychological self-reports, as well as physical examinations, were conducted before and after such programs in blinded assessments. Psychological effects were considered the primary outcome, whilst physical condition was secondary.

Results: Four subjects were lost and twenty-three were analyzed. General linear model with 2 criteria revealed significant changes (p = 0.05) in trait anxiety symptoms over time in the low-to-moderate intensity group (LMIG). Within group changes followed a significant decrease in levels of anxiety (38.82 ± 2.20 to 33.36 ± 2.83, p = 0.004) and depression (10.36 ± 2.83 to 6.73 ± 1.88, p = 0.006) related symptoms amongst those in the LMIG.

Interpretation: This study indicated that depression and anxiety symptoms were reduced amongst a non-clinical sample of Primary educated pre-adolescents when they were subject to a low-to-moderate exercise program. The program focused on associating movement with pleasure, encouraged positive and non-competitive interactions between participants.

Clinical trial registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT02970825, autumn 2016, updated May 7, 2018 (https://ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT02970825).

Keywords: anxiety; depression; exercise medicine; move and feel good clinical trial; students; youth.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flow chart of study design. Among the 27 pre-adolescents who were recruited and randomized (quantifiers: CDI, BMI, Léger shuttle test, age, sex, and school year), four participants were lost during the experimentation. The statistical analysis of T1 and T2 measures was restricted to the 23 participants involved in the whole study.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Evolution of STAI-B score. The STAI-B scores, on average, decreased between T1 and T2 in LMIG (p = 0.004) whereas these scores remained on average stable in HIG. The cut-off considered for pathological score was 39–40.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Evolution of CDI score. The CDI scores, on average, decreased between T1 and T2 in LMIG (p = 0.006) whereas these scores remained on average stable in HIG. The cut-off considered for pathological score was 19.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Evolution of VO2max indices. The VO2max indices as evaluated using the Léger shuttle test, on average, evolved better between T1 and T2 in HIG compared to LMIG. Although there was a trend for improvement of these indices in both groups, a significant improvement of VO2max indices (p = 0.014) was only observed in the HIG group. The errors bars represent standard error of the mean (SEM).

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