Physical activity reduces symptoms of anxiety, but further research is needed to determine a preventative effect (Commentary)

Prevention of anxiety disorders and symptoms can reduce associated individual and public costs and the burden of the illness and its comorbidities. Physical inactivity is a known risk factor for numerous chronic physical and mental health concerns, including anxiety symptoms and disorders. However, the protective effects of physical activity for anxiety risk were previously unclear. McDowell et al5 presented a systematic review for the first time, adding new evidence on the protective effect of physical activity in preventing anxiety. The selected studies included a large number of participants (n>80 000; 54.5% female) from North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Future studies need to address several methodological issues that stood out in the current review. The authors assessed the selected studies for risk bias and found the moderate quality of studies with concerns related to the measure of exposure and outcomes, representative bias and attrition bias. The putative confounders, such as the severity of anxiety at baseline, were either not adjusted or inconsistently controlled in the included studies. Most studies lacked device-based physical activity assessment but relied on self-reported assessment, which is known for its inherent measurement errors such as exaggerating high-intensity yet underestimating light-intensity physical activity, and the lack of measures on domains of physical activity.
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news