| Methods |
RCT |
| Participants |
Community volunteers recruited via media
Mean age 28.5 (SD 4.36)
100% women
N = 40. The number randomised into each group not stated. |
| Interventions |
1. Supervised running or walking 4 times a week for 8 weeks
2. Supervised strength training 4 times a week
3. Waiting list control |
| Outcomes |
1. Beck Depression Inventory
2. Lubin's Depression Adjective List
3. Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression |
| Notes |
Outcome assessment not blind
Analysis not intention‐to‐treat |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Report states random assignment after matching participants on baseline BDI scores of intervals of < 19, 20 ‐ 29 and > 30 |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
High risk |
Inadequate (as assessed by Lawlor and Hopker in BMJ review in 2001) |
| Blinding (performance bias and detection bias)
participants |
Unclear risk |
Participants not blind to treatment allocation, but unclear risk of bias |
| Blinding (performance bias and detection bias)
those delivering intervention |
Unclear risk |
Those delivering the intervention were not blind |
| Blinding (performance bias and detection bias)
outcome assessors |
High risk |
BDI was the primary outcome |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Of the 57 women who met criteria for inclusion, 40 completed treatment, and 32 completed follow‐up. Drop‐out rates were 40% in 'track', 29% in 'universal' and 13% in waiting list control |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Unclear risk |
It appears that all the prespecified outcome measures are reported, but no protocol |
| Other bias |
Unclear risk |
Unclear |
