Effects of exercise on depressive symptoms among nursing home residents: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: We examined the effects of exercise on depression in older adults living in nursing homes and explored the moderator effects of participants, methods, and intervention characteristics. METHODS: statistics as measures of heterogeneity. We also examined moderator analyses. RESULTS: =.018). No other quality indicators moderated the effects of exercise on depression. CONCLUSION: Exercise significantly improved depressive symptoms among older adults in nursing homes. Exercise might be used as adjunct/alternative complementary treatment for improving depressive symptoms in older adults in nursing homes.