Washington: A new study has shown that physically fit sixth graders especially girls are less depressed when they reach in seventh grade.
The study conducted at the American Psychological Association's 122nd Annual Convention demonstrated that existing symptoms of depression and weight, sixth-grade girls who performed better on a cardiorespiratory fitness test were less likely to feel depressed when they were surveyed again in seventh grade.
Camilo Ruggero, PhD, of the University of North Texas said that a student's physical activity level may change from week to week, whereas fitness was a result of more prolonged physical activity and assessing the students' body mass index, how well they performed on a shuttle-run test and their own feelings of personal fitness helped to give them a more complete picture of each student's fitness level.
Ruggero added that depression that begins at this time could lead to chronic or recurring depression in later years and fitness programs were one way to help prevent depression in middle-schoolers, but schools should also use other interventions, such as one-on-one or group therapy, that more directly address symptom treatment among depressed adolescents.
