Physical activity can protect against the development of depression, regardless of age and geographical region, according to a meta-analysis published yesterday in AJP in Advance.

Depressive disorders are the second leading cause of global burden of illness and account for more than 44 million years lived with disability, according to Felipe B. Schuch, Ph.D., of LaSalle University in Canoas, Brazil, and colleagues.

While previous reviews have suggested that physical activity can protect against the development of depression, this study is believed to be “the first pooled meta-analysis investigating this relationship, which allows a clearer understanding of a true association between an exposure and outcome, rather than when studies are considered separately,” Schuch and colleagues wrote.

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