Review Quality Rating: 9 (strong) - View Quality Assessment Citation: Brown H, Pearson N, Braithwaite R, Brown W, & Biddle S. (2013). Physical activity interventions and depression in children and adolescents. Sports Medicine, 43(3), 195-206. Abstract CONTEXT:Evidence suggests chronic physical activity (PA) participation may be both protective against the onset of and beneficial for reducing depressive symptoms. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to assess the impact of PA interventions on depression in children and adolescents using meta-analysis. DATA SOURCE: Published English language studies were located from manual and computerized searches of the following databases: PsycInfo, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Trials Register of Promoting Health Interventions (TRoPHI; EPPI Centre), Web of Science and MEDLINE. STUDY SELECTION: Studies meeting inclusion criteria (1) reported on interventions to promote or increase PA; (2) included children aged 5-11 years and/or adolescents aged 12-19 years; (3) reported on results using a quantitative measure of depression; (4) included a non-physical control or comparison group; and (5) were published in peer-reviewed journals written in English, up to and including May 2011 (when the search was conducted). DATA EXTRACTION: Studies were coded for methodological, participant and study characteristics. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version-2 software was used to compute effect sizes, with subgroup analyses to identify moderating characteristics. Study quality was assessed using the Delphi technique. RESULTS: Nine studies were included (n = 581); most were school-based randomized controlled trials, randomized by individual. Studies used a variety of measurement tools to assess depressive symptoms. The summary treatment effect was small but significant (Hedges' g = GêÆ0.26, standard error = 0.09, 95% confidence intervals = GêÆ0.43, GêÆ0.08, p = 0.004). Subgroup analyses showed that methodological (e.g. studies with both education and PA intervention; those with a higher quality score; and less than 3 months in duration) and participant characteristics (e.g. single-gender studies; those targeting overweight or obese groups) contributed most to the reduction in depression. CONCLUSIONS: There was a small significant overall effect for PA on depression. More outcome-focused, high-quality trials are required to effectively inform the implementation of programmes to reduce depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. Keywords: Adolescents (13-19 years), Behaviour Modification (e.g., provision of item/tool, incentives, goal setting), Grade school aged (5-12 years), Mental Health, Meta-analysis, Physical Activity, School