School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.
Global Alliance of Mental Health and Sport, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.
Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2024 Nov 28;21(1):134. doi: 10.1186/s12966-024-01676-6.
While evidence consistently demonstrates that physical activity is beneficial to mental health, it remains relatively unknown how physical activity benefits mental health, and which factors influence the effect of physical activity on mental health. This understanding could vastly increase our capacity to design, recommend, and prescribe physical activity in more optimal ways. The purpose of this study was to systematically review and synthesise evidence of all mediators and moderators of the relationship between physical activity and mental health.
Systematic searches of four databases (i.e., Scopus, PsycINFO, PubMed, and SPORTDiscus) identified 11,633 initial studies. Empirical studies that quantitatively assessed physical activity, or conducted a physical activity intervention, measured a mental health outcome, and tested one or more mediator or moderator of the relationship between physical activity and mental health were included. A total of 247 met the inclusion criteria; 173 studies examined mediation and 82 examined moderation.
Results of the best-evidence synthesis revealed strong evidence for 12 mediators including affect, mental health and wellbeing, self-esteem, self-efficacy, physical self-worth, body image satisfaction, resilience, social support, social connection, physical health, pain, and fatigue. Moderate evidence was identified for a further 15 mediators and eight moderators.
Findings should inform the design of future physical activity interventions to ensure optimal effects on mental health related outcomes. Additionally, if health professionals were to take these mediators and moderators into consideration when prescribing or recommending physical activity, physical activity would likely have a greater impact on population mental health.
尽管有大量证据表明身体活动有益于心理健康，但人们对于身体活动如何有益于心理健康以及哪些因素影响身体活动对心理健康的影响仍知之甚少。这种理解可以极大地提高我们以更优化的方式设计、推荐和规定身体活动的能力。本研究的目的是系统地回顾和综合身体活动与心理健康之间关系的所有中介和调节因素的证据。
系统检索了四个数据库（即 Scopus、PsycINFO、PubMed 和 SPORTDiscus），共检索到 11633 篇初始研究。纳入了定量评估身体活动或进行身体活动干预、测量心理健康结果以及测试身体活动与心理健康之间关系的一个或多个中介或调节因素的实证研究。共有 247 项符合纳入标准；173 项研究检验了中介作用，82 项研究检验了调节作用。
最佳证据综合的结果显示，有 12 个中介因素的证据很强，包括情感、心理健康和幸福感、自尊、自我效能感、身体自我价值感、身体意象满意度、韧性、社会支持、社会联系、身体健康、疼痛和疲劳。另外还确定了 15 个中介因素和 8 个调节因素的中等证据。
研究结果应能为未来的身体活动干预措施的设计提供信息，以确保对心理健康相关结果产生最佳效果。此外，如果健康专业人员在规定或推荐身体活动时考虑这些中介和调节因素，身体活动可能会对人群的心理健康产生更大的影响。
