| Summary: | Although exercise-based programs may serve as an alternative therapeutic approach for minimising severe depression in postpartum women, their clinical efficacy must be empirically established. This meta-analysis investigates the effect of exercise intervention on depression in women up to 6 months postpartum. Using relevant keywords, this study searched the following electronic databases: Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, SPORTDiscus and Google Scholar. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria, which included 20 trials with Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Score questionnaire score ≥ 10. The eligible studies on exercise intervention for postpartum women were compared in terms of the corresponding usual care, non-intervention and active controls. Estimations using the fixed-effects meta-analysis indicate a significant reduction in postpartum depression scores in the exercise intervention group compared to the control group (overall standardised mean difference =-0.28 [95% CI: −0.38 to −0.18], p<0.001; I2 = 54.7%). Subgroup analyses revealed that exercise supervision status and exercise intensity considerably influence the effectiveness of interventions in lowering Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Score (supervised group: standardised mean difference = –0.44 [95% CI: −0.65 to −0.22], p<0.001 vs. unsupervised group: standardised mean difference = –0.18 [95% CI: −0.40 to −0.05], p=0.13; low-intensity exercise group: SMD = –0.23 [95% CI: −0.37 to −0.09], p<0.01 vs. moderate-intensity exercise group: standardised mean difference = –0.96 [95% CI: −1.41 to −0.50], p<0.001). Less influence is seen on the timing of exercise intervention (i.e., ≤ 3 months vs. 3 to 6 months). The findings suggest that the current evidence supports exercise intervention as a means for reducing the risk of depression during the first 6 months postpartum. Greater prevention effect is more likely with a supervised exercise program of low to moderate exercise intensity progression. © JPES.
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