Background Antenatal depression can have harmful consequences for the mother and fetus. Exercise may be a useful intervention to prevent and treat antenatal depression.Objectives This systematic review aims to establish whether there is sufficient evidence to conclude that exercise is an effective intervention for preventing and treating antenatal depression.Search strategy Searches using electronic databases from MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, EMBASE, AMED and PsycINFO were performed.Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials (RCT) that compared any type of exercise intervention with any comparator in pregnant women were eligible for inclusion.Data collection and analysis Meta-analysis was performed calculating standardised mean differences (SMD).Main results Six trials (seven comparisons) were eligible for inclusion. Meta-analysis showed a significant reduction in depression scores (SMD À0.46, 95% CI À0.87 to À0.05, P = 0.03, I 2 = 68%) for exercise interventions relative to comparator groups.The test for subgroup differences in women who were non-depressed (one trial) (SMD À0.74, 95%CI À1.22 to À0.27, P = 0.002) and depressed (five trials) (SMD À0.41, 95% CI À0.88 to 0.07, P = 0.09) at baseline was not significant (P = 0.32). The test for subgroup differences between aerobic (one trial) and non-aerobic exercise (five trials) was also nonsignificant (P = 0.32).Authors' conclusions We found some evidence that exercise may be effective in treating depression during pregnancy but this conclusion is based on a small number of low-moderate quality trials with significant heterogeneity and wide confidence intervals.

Anecdotal beliefs that exercise is an effective treatment for primary dysmenorrhoea have prevailed for many years although evidence is contradictory. Previous studies have also contained a number of methodological inadequacies. A questionnaire that assessed menstrual pain and levels of exercise was administered to 654 university students. Attempts were made to blind the purpose of the study. A response rate of 91.3% (597/654) was obtained. Analyses showed no association between participation in exercise and primary dysmenorrhoea. Prospective studies would be useful in further research.