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. 2022 May 11;11(10):2719. doi: 10.3390/jcm11102719

Table 1.

Characteristics of the studies included in the meta-analysis.

First Author, Publication Year N (% Female) Age Range, Mean (SD) Population Country Study Design PS Measure Intervention Results * Quality Score
1 Acil (2008) [26] 30 (40%) 21–45 Schizophrenia Turkey Observational-longitudinal SANS, SAPS Aerobic Exercise Positive: r = 0.33;
Negative: r = 0.35
3
2 Behere (2011) [21] 66 (29%) EXP: 31.3 (9.3);
CT: 30.2 (8.0)
Schizophrenia India Experimental-longitudinal PANSS Exercise
Yoga
EX: Positive: r = 0.09;
EX: Negative: r = 0.15;
YA Positive: r = 0.16;
YA: Negative: r = 0.03
2
3 Campos (2015) [27] 32 (25%) EXP: 39.77 (9.2), CT: 39.00 (5.60) Schizophrenia Portugal Observational-longitudinal PANSS Other Positive: r = −0.05;
Negative: r = −0.06;
GP: r = −0.04
2
4 Dodd (2011) [28] 8 (25%) 45.9 (10.1) Schizophrenia Australia Observational-longitudinal PANSS Aerobic exercise Positive: r = −0.14;
Negative: r = 0.16;
GP: r = 0.17
3
5 Firth (2018) [29] 38 (21%) 25.8 (4.6) Other psychotic disorders United Kingdom Observational-longitudinal PANSS Exercise Positive: r = 0.25;
Negative: r = 0.38;
GP: r = 0.40
2
6 Fisher (2020) [30] 22 (0%) 24.8 (4.8) Other psychotic disorders United Kingdom Experimental-longitudinal PANSS Exercise Positive: r = 0.28;
Negative: r = −0.04;
GP: r = 0.24
1
7 Gholipour (2012) [31] 45 (0%) 38 (8) Schizophrenia Iran Observational-longitudinal SANS Exercise Negative: r = 0.61 3
8 Ho (2016) [22] 151 (46%) 55.0 (7.4) Schizophrenia China Experimental-longitudinal PANSS Exercise
Tai-chi
Exercises Positive: r = −0.11;
Exercises Negative: r = −0.13;
Tai-chi Positive: r = −0.38;
Tai-chi Negative: r = −0.17
2
9 Kaltsatou (2015) [32] 16 (12%) 59.9 (14.1) Schizophrenia Greece Experimental-longitudinal PANSS Exercise Positive: r = 0.20;
Negative: r = 0.14;
GP: r = 0.18
2
10 Lee (2013) [33] 187 (60%) 37.9 (8.2) Other psychotic disorders China Observational–cross-sectional SAPS, SANS Positive CS: r = −0.04;
Negative CS: r = 0.14
2
11 Leutwyler (2014) [34] 30 (40%) 55-older Schizophrenia USA Observational-cross-sectional PANSS Negative: r = −0.20; 2
12 Manjunath (2013) [23] 88 (44%) EXP: 31.7 (8.8),
CT: 31.1 (7.8)
Schizophrenia India Observational-longitudinal PANSS Yoga
Exercise
Positive: Yoga: r = 0.67;
Exercise: r = 0.59;
Negative: Yoga: r = 0.57;
Exercise: r = 0.56;
GP: Yoga: r = 0.82;
Exercise: r = 0.72
2
13 Romain (2019) [35] 66 (38%) 30.73 (7.23) Other psychotic disorders Canada Experimental-longitudinal PANSS HIIT Positive: r = 0.60;
Negative: r = 0.78;
GP: r = 0.89
1
14 Scheewe, Backx (2013) [36] 31 (25%) 29.2 (7.2) Schizophrenia Netherlands Experimental-longitudinal PANSS Exercise Positive: r = 0.25;
Negative: r = 0.13;
GP: r = 0.26
1
15 Scheewe, van Haren (2013) [37] 84 (26%) 28.5 (7.3) Schizophrenia Netherlands Observational-longitudinal PANSS Exercise GP: r = 0.27 1
16 Shimada (2019) [38] 32 a 20–65 Schizophrenia Japan Experimental-longitudinal PANSS, SANS Aerobic exercise Positive: r = 0.30;
Negative: r = 0.48;
GP: r = 0.34
3
17 Shin (2016) [39] 61 (43%) 23–61; 46.59 (8.40) Schizophrenia Korea Observational-cross-sectional PANSS Positive: r = −0.51;
Negative: r = −0.36;
GP: r = −0.46
2
18 Silva (2015) [24] 34 (0%) Resistance—32.91 (2.28) Aerobic—35.55 (2.63) Schizophrenia Brazil Experimental-longitudinal PANSS Aerobic exercise
Resistance exercise
Aerobic-positive: r = 0.57;
Aerobic-negative: r = 0.45;
Aerobic GP: r = 0.77;
Resistance-positive: r = 0.82;
Resistance-negative: r = 0.77;
Resistance GP: r = 0.88
1
19 Su (2016) [40] 22 (46%) 37.64 (8.23) Schizophrenia Taiwan Observational-longitudinal PANSS Aerobic Exercise Positive: r = 0.23;
Negative: r = 0.37
2
20 Svatkova (2015) [41] 81 (26%) 18–48 Schizophrenia Czech Republic Experimental-longitudinal PANSS Exercise Positive: r = 0.29;
Negative: r = 0.20
GP: r = 0.28
2
21 Takahashi (2012) [42] 23 (48%) 43.5 (11.8) Schizophrenia Japan Observational-longitudinal PANSS Aerobic exercise Positive: r = 0.04;
Negatve: r = 0.09
GP: r = 0.12
2
22 Vancampfort (2017) [43] 19 (26%) 24.4 (5.1) Other psychotic disorders Belgium Observational-cross-sectional PANSS Positive moderate: r = −0.01; Positive vigorous: r = −0.31; Negative moderate: r = 0.06; Negative vigorous: r = 0.11 1
23 Vancampfort (2012) [44] 52 (40%) 35.74 (10.75) Schizophrenia Belgium Observational-cross-sectional PECC Positive: r = −0.22;
Negative: r = −0.45
2
24 Van Citters (2009) [45] 76 (72%) 43.5 (11.4) Other psychotic disorders USA Observational-longitudinal SANS Exercise Negative: r = 0.07 2
25 Visceglia & Lewis (2011) [46] 10 (40%) 37.40 (13.75) Schizophrenia USA Observational-longitudinal PANSS Yoga Positive: r = 0.56;
Negative: r = 0.43;
GP: r = 0.64
2
26 Wang (2018) [47] 62 (52%) 38.3 (8.34) Schizophrenia Taiwan Observational-longitudinal MC-PANSS Exercise Positive: r = 0.31;
Negative: r = 0.41;
GP: r = 0.47
1
27 Wu (2015) [48] 18 (55%) 38.39 (8.24) Schizophrenia Taiwan Observational-longitudinal PANSS HIIT Positive: r = -.01;
Negative: r = 0.31;
GP: r = 0.30
2

N = sample size; EXP = the experimental group; CT = the control group; PA = physical activity; PS = psychotic symptoms; Positive = positive symptoms of psychosis; Negative = negative symptoms of psychosis; GP = general psychopathology (total score); PANSS = Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale; MC-PANSS = Mandarin Chinese Version of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale; PECC = Psychosis Evaluation tool for Common use by Caregivers; SANS—The Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms; SAPS = The Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms; Aerobic Exercise = aerobic exercises interventions; Yoga = yoga training only; HIIT = high intensity interval training; Psychoeducation = psychosocial intervention; exercise = other exercise interventions (e.g., video game exercises intervention); Tai-chi = intervention focused on tai-chi training; Schizophrenia = studies enrolling people with schizophrenia diagnosed; Other psychotic disorders = studies enrolling people with other types of psychotic disorders diagnosed (e.g., schizoaffective disorders and/or other types of psychosis); a = gender not provided. * positive values of the coefficient mean that a higher level of physical activity is related to better mental health (i.e., less negative symptoms, less positive symptoms, less general psychopathology symptoms.