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Movement-based interventions for preschool-age children with, or at risk of, motor impairment: a systematic review
Kate L Cameron1,2, Reem A Albesher1,2,3, Jennifer L McGinley1
1Department of Physiotherapy, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Insights
Evidence for movement-based interventions in preschool children with motor impairments is limited. While showing potential, these interventions did not significantly improve motor skills, with inconclusive results due to study limitations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric physical therapy
- Developmental pediatrics
- Rehabilitation science
Background:
- Motor impairment affects preschool children, impacting development.
- Movement-based interventions are explored for improving motor skills.
- Children with cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and developmental coordination disorder are often affected.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of movement-based interventions for preschool children with or at risk of motor impairment.
- To synthesize evidence on improving motor skills in this population.
Main Methods:
- Systematic search of randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials.
- Classification of outcomes using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework.
- Quality assessment using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale and risk of bias assessment.
Main Results:
- Seventeen studies met inclusion criteria, showing diverse interventions and outcomes.
- Movement-based interventions did not significantly improve body structure/function or activity domains in most cases.
- No studies utilized participation outcome measures.
Conclusions:
- Current evidence is inconclusive regarding the efficacy of movement-based interventions for preschool motor impairment.
- Small sample sizes, variable study quality, and risk of bias limit confidence in findings.
- Further research with robust methodology and participation outcome measures is needed.
Aim:
To explore the efficacy of movement-based interventions to improve motor skills in preschool-age children with, or at risk of, motor impairment, including those with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and developmental coordination disorder.
Method:
Relevant electronic databases were searched for randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials. Outcomes were classified using domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: Children & Youth version. Quality was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen's d.
Results:
Seventeen articles exploring a heterogeneity of intervention types, population groups, and outcome measures met the inclusion criteria. Movement-based interventions did not significantly improve outcomes in either the body structure and function or activity domains in most studies. No studies used a participation outcome measure.
Interpretation:
There is a paucity of evidence exploring movement-based interventions in the preschool-age group. Although movement-based interventions showed potential for improving body structure and function and activity outcomes for children with motor impairment, results were mostly not significant. Small sample sizes, variable study quality, and risk of bias limit confidence in the results.
What This Paper Adds:
The evidence is inconclusive to support movement-based interventions in this group. No studies used outcome measures assessing participation. Variability in intervention type and study quality limit confidence in results.
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