Treatment effect of exercise training on post‐stroke depression in middle‐aged and older adults: A meta‐analysis

Abstract Objective This meta‐analytic study examined the effects of exercise training on depressive symptoms in mild stroke patients and the moderating effects of exercise type, therapeutic method, culture, sex, and gross domestic product (GDP) in the patient’s country. Methods The Metafor package in R was chosen to conduct the meta‐analysis, and the quality of each empirical study was evaluated according to the grading system in Cochrane. We included 36 empirical studies and 1477 patients. Results The results showed that the treatment effect of exercise training on depression in mild stroke patients was significant. The moderating effects of culture and therapeutic method were significant, but not for exercise type, sex, or GDP in the patient’s country. The moderating effect of culture can be explained by the therapeutic method in different cultures. Conclusion Fitness exercise is an effective method for improving depressive symptoms in mild stroke patients. Its effectiveness is moderated by the therapeutic method but is not affected by demographics, exercise type, gender, or GDP level.