A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of exercise on psychosocial outcomes in adults with obesity: A call for more research

Baillot, Aurélie et Saunders, Stéphanie et Brunet, Jennifer et Romain, Ahmed J. et Trottier, Alexia et Bernard, Paquito (2017). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of exercise on psychosocial outcomes in adults with obesity: A call for more research. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 14 . pp. 1-10.

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Résumé

Background
Reviews show that exercise reduces many obesity-related physical health problems. However, it is unclear whether those benefits extend to psychosocial outcomes. The aim of this review was to evaluate the effect of exercise on psychosocial outcomes in adults with obesity.
Method
Seven databases (Pubmed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CINAHL, Psyarticle, SportDiscus, Proquest) were searched until October 2017 to identify relevant studies published in peer-reviewed journals. Two reviewers independently screened articles against the following inclusion criteria: used an experimental or quasi-experimental design, involved adults with a body mass index ≥30 kg/m2, delivered an intervention consisting of supervised or semi-supervised exercise, and assessed quality of life (QoL), depression, anxiety, and/or body image as outcomes.
Results
Twenty two articles were included in this review; 16 were randomized controlled trials (RCT). Most interventions were supervised and lasted ≤16 weeks. Meta-analysis of RCTs with available data on QoL (k = 7) and depression (k = 4) did not show that exercise was significantly superior to control conditions for physical QoL (g = 0.16, 95%CI [-0.05,0.37]), mental QoL (g = 0.20, 95%CI [-0.09,0.48]), or depression (g = −0.26, 95%CI [-0.70,0.19]). Only three studies reported data on anxiety and body image.
Conclusions
Current evidence does not suggest exercise is successful in significantly enhancing psychosocial health in adults with obesity. Limitations associated with the reviewed studies could have biased the results toward a lack of effect. Additional high-quality RCTs are needed to improve evidence-based knowledge.

Type de document:	Article
Mots-clés libres:	Physical activity; Obesity; Quality of life; Depression; Anxiety; Body image
Départements et école, unités de recherche et services:	École interdisciplinaire de la santé
Date de dépôt:	25 août 2026 15:34
Dernière modification:	25 août 2026 15:34
URI:	https://di.uqo.ca/id/eprint/1984

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