A new study found that female teens who are physically fit are less likely to show symptoms of depression.
There are many different reasons why teens become depressed, such as school performance, social status with peers, sexual orientation and family problems. Although the condition can be treated, some forms may not be preventable. But these symptoms can be controlled with good health habits, one of which includes maintaining physical fitness.
Researchers from the University of North Texas surveyed 437 students from six middle schools in the city. Fifty-five percent of the participants were girls. During their sixth grade classes, the participants were asked to fill out surveys with questions related to depression and their physical fitness. Other factors were also considered in the study, such as the participants' body mass index (BMI) and their performance in a shuttle-based run. The same sets of evaluations were performed on the seventh graders for comparison.
"A student's physical activity level may change from week to week, whereas fitness is a result of more prolonged physical activity," said study author Camilo Ruggero, PhD, of the University of North Texas. "Assessing the students' body mass index, how well they performed on a shuttle-run test and their own feelings of personal fitness helps to give us a more complete picture of each student's fitness level."
The results of the evaluations showed that sixth graders felt more depressed than seventh graders. Prior to the study, 28 percent of the girls showed symptoms of depression and that number increased by one percent in seventh grade. Boys, on the other hand, started with 22 percent in seventh grade and decreased by three percent a year later. However, after factoring fitness measurements, the researchers observed improvement on the depression symptoms a year later.
"Fitness programs are one way to help prevent depression in middle schoolers, but schools should also use other interventions, such as one-on-one or group therapy, that more directly address symptom treatment among depressed adolescents," Ruggero said.
The findings of the study were presented at the 122nd Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.
