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Systematic review of physical activity and cognitive development in early childhood
Valerie Carson1, Stephen Hunter1, Nicholas Kuzik1
1Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Canada.
Insights
Physical activity appears to benefit early childhood cognitive development, particularly executive function and language skills. However, current evidence is limited and of weak quality, necessitating further research.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Cognitive Science
- Physical Activity Research
Background:
- Early childhood is a critical period for cognitive development.
- The influence of physical activity on cognitive outcomes in young children is an area of ongoing investigation.
- Existing research has not comprehensively synthesized findings from both observational and experimental studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review observational and experimental studies on physical activity and cognitive development in children aged 0–5 years.
- To identify the effects of physical activity duration, intensity, and frequency on cognitive outcomes.
- To assess the quality of evidence regarding physical activity and early cognitive development.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of published, peer-reviewed articles.
- Searched electronic databases without date, language, or study design limitations.
- Included studies met criteria for population (healthy children 0–5 years), intervention (physical activity), comparator (activity levels), and outcome (cognitive development).
Main Results:
- Seven studies (414 participants) met inclusion criteria: 2 observational, 5 experimental.
- Six studies showed statistically significant benefits of increased physical activity on cognitive outcomes (executive function, language).
- No detrimental effects of physical activity were found; however, 6 of 7 studies had weak quality and high risk of bias.
Conclusions:
- Preliminary evidence suggests physical activity may positively impact cognitive development in early childhood.
- The current evidence base is limited by a shortage of studies and weak methodological quality.
- Further high-quality research is essential to confirm these findings and strengthen the evidence.
Objectives:
To comprehensively review all observational and experimental studies examining the relationship between physical activity and cognitive development during early childhood (birth to 5 years).
Design:
Systematic review.
Methods:
Electronic databases were searched in July, 2014. No study design, date, or language limits were imposed on the search. Included studies had to be published, peer reviewed articles that satisfied the a priori determined population (apparently healthy children aged birth to 5 years), intervention (duration, intensity, frequency, or patterns of physical activity), comparator (various durations, intensity, or patterns of physical activity), and outcome (cognitive development) study criteria. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed in December 2014.
Results:
A total of seven studies, representing 414 participants from five different countries met the inclusion criteria, including two observational and five experimental studies. Six studies found increased or higher duration/frequency of physical activity had statistically significant (p<0.05) beneficial effects on at least one cognitive development outcome, including 67% of the outcomes assessed in the executive function domain and 60% in the language domain. No study found that increased or higher duration/frequency of physical activity had statistically significant detrimental effects on cognitive development. Six of the seven studies were rated weak quality with a high risk of bias.
Conclusions:
This review provides some preliminary evidence that physical activity may have beneficial effects on cognitive development during early childhood. Given the shortage of the information and the weak quality of available evidence, future research is needed to strengthen the evidence base in this area.
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