Vitamin D, physical activity and depression: a scoping review of potential combined effects

Purpose This scoping review aimed to synthesize current evidence on the individual and combined effects of vitamin D status or supplementation and physical activity on depression-related outcomes in adults. Design/methodology/approach A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. PubMed, ScienceDirect and Scopus were searched from database inception through July 2026. Studies were eligible if they included adults and examined vitamin D-related exposure or intervention together with physical activity in relation to depressive symptoms or clinically diagnosed depression. Six eligible studies were included. Findings Vitamin D and physical activity were associated with improvements in depression-related outcomes in some populations, whereas evidence regarding their combined effects was mixed. Potential complementary benefits were more frequently observed among participants with vitamin D deficiency or greater baseline depressive symptom severity. In contrast, studies involving participants with sufficient baseline vitamin D status and low depressive symptom severity generally did not demonstrate additional benefits from combined interventions. Originality/value This review maps the limited evidence on the combined effects of vitamin D and physical activity on depression and highlights potential population and intervention characteristics that may influence these effects.