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June 26, 2026Journal of Health Psychology

Mental health outcomes and physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

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Authors

RARocío de las Nieves Pizarro AndradeYCYordanis Enríquez CantoRSRoger Joaquin Angulo Salas

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Overview

Systematic review shows physical activity reduces depression and stress in adults during pandemic, suggesting a low-risk solution.

Key Points

  • This study aims to explore the relationships between physical activity and mental health outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Systematic review and multilevel random-effects meta-analysis of observational studies
  • Included 38 studies with 140,915 adults published from January 2020 to May 2023
  • Validated measures were used to assess mental health outcomes and physical activity behaviors.
  • Physical activity was significantly associated with reduced depression (r = -0.18; p < 0.001) and stress (r = -0.14; p = 0.043)
  • No significant association was found between physical activity and anxiety (p = 0.340)
  • The findings suggest cautious interpretation due to high heterogeneity among studies.

Cite This Study

Andrade et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a3e16cd030ad1a9b30907bchttps://doi.org/10.1177/13591053261460700
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