TABLE 3.

Moderated mediation regression analysis for repeated measure designs (n = 66).

PANSS depressed factor	Conditional total, direct and indirect effects							Indices of moderation by group
Effects	Moderator (Group)	Mediator Average (VO2max)	Effect	SE	LLCI	ULCI	p	Effect	SE	LLCI	ULCI	P
Total effects	AVG		0.16	0.39	−0.62	0.95	0.682	−1.23	0.59	−2.42	0.05	0.042
	HIIT		−1.07	0.45	−1.96	−0.18	0.019
Direct effects	AVG	−0.26	0.13	0.36	−0.59	0.85	0.721	−0.84	0.56	−1.95	0.27	0.138
	HIIT	0.32	−0.70	0.42	−1.55	0.15	0.103
Indirect effects†	AVG		0.03	0.09	−0.16	0.22	−	−0.40	0.32	−1.19	0.09	−
	HIIT		−0.37	0.31	−1.15	0.07

Moderated mediation analysis: Outcome (Y) is the difference in depressive symptoms (post-pre-intervention PANSS depressed factor score), moderator (W) is the group (AVG = 0/HIIT = 1), and mediator (M) is the difference in VO₂max (post-pre-intervention). Effect, Regression coefficient; SE, standard error; LLCI-ULCI, 95% Confidence interval; Total effect, The total conditional effect; Direct effect, The conditional effect not mediated by VO₂max; Indirect effect, The conditional effect through VO₂max.

^†For indirect effects, the standard errors and confidence intervals are bootstrapped.