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The effects of chronic physical activity interventions on executive functions in children aged 3-7 years: A
Longkai Li1, Jinming Zhang2, Meng Cao3
1School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, China.
Insights
Regular physical activity (PA) interventions show small, positive effects on executive functions (EFs) in young children. Combining PA with cognitive challenges may further enhance multiple aspects of EFs in children aged 3-7 years.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Health
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Executive functions (EFs) are crucial for cognitive and socio-emotional development in early childhood.
- Chronic physical activity (PA) is increasingly recognized for its potential impact on children's cognitive abilities.
- Understanding the specific effects of PA interventions on EFs in preschoolers is essential for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively assess the impact of chronic physical activity (PA) interventions on executive functions (EFs) in children aged 3-7 years.
- To synthesize findings from existing studies through a systematic review and meta-analysis.
- To explore potential moderators of PA intervention effects on EFs.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studies with control groups.
- Searched major databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, PsycINFO, CNKI) up to December 2019.
- Included 10 studies with 716 participants, analyzing effects on overall EFs, inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility.
Main Results:
- Chronic PA interventions demonstrated a small positive effect on overall EFs (SMD = 0.35).
- Significant positive effects were observed for inhibition (SMD = 0.37) and working memory (SMD = 0.24).
- A moderate effect size was found for cognitive flexibility (SMD = 0.66), with no significant modification by intervention characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Chronic PA interventions positively influence multiple domains of executive functions in young children.
- PA interventions combined with cognitive challenges appear particularly promising for promoting EFs.
- These findings support the integration of physical activity into early childhood education to foster cognitive development.
Objectives:
To use a quantitative approach to examine the effects of chronic physical activity (PA) interventions on executive functions (EFs) in children aged 3-7 years.
Design:
Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Methods:
PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PsycINFO, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched from their inception to December 2019. Intervention studies with a control group that examined the effects of chronic PA interventions on EFs among children aged 3-7 years were included in this meta-analysis. Lastly, subgroup analyses were conducted to examine the potential modifying effects of chronic PA intervention's characteristics and study quality.
Results:
A total of 10 studies were included in this meta-analysis with a total of 716 participants. The fixed-effects model was used to estimate the pooled effect sizes since heterogeneity across included studies was not significant. The summary effects revealed that chronic PA interventions have a small but positive effects on participants' overall EFs [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.20-0.50] as well as inhibition (SMD = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.12-0.62) and working memory (SMD = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.02-0.46) domains and a moderate effect on the cognitive flexibility domain (SMD = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.28-1.05). Lastly, the pooled effect was not significantly modified by intervention duration, session length, or frequency.
Conclusions:
Chronic PA interventions, especially PA plus cognitive challenges interventions, may be a promising way to promote the development of multiple aspects of EFs in children aged 3-7 years.
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