| Methods |
RCT |
| Participants |
Community volunteers recruited via media
Data on age and gender distribution not available
N = 17 |
| Interventions |
1. Running or walking with the instructor for 30 minutes 4 times a week for 8 weeks (n = 5)
2. Cognitive therapy: 1 session of 1 hour and 2 of ½ hour per week (n = 6)
3. Waiting list control (n = 6) |
| Outcomes |
Beck Depression Inventory |
| 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 |
Stated that "random assignment" was performed |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
High risk |
Categorised as inadequate in BMJ review (Lawlor and Hopker) |
| Blinding (performance bias and detection bias)
participants |
Unclear risk |
Participants not blinded to treatment allocation |
| 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 |
Self report BDI |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Previously categorised by Lawlor and Hopker as not intention‐to‐treat, but data on drop‐outs are not reported |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Unclear risk |
The BDI was listed as the first outcome measure and data on BDI were reported. The authors also mentioned the Zung Self rating Depression Scale, but data were not reported in the abstract. No protocol was available |
| Other bias |
Unclear risk |
Unclear |
