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Do physical activity interventions influence subsequent attendance and involvement in physical activities for
Gaela Kilgour1, Brooke Adair2, Ngaire Susan Stott3
1Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Insights
Physical activity interventions may improve attendance in children with cerebral palsy short-term, but sustained participation and involvement require further research. More studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm lasting effects.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Sports Science
Background:
- Children with cerebral palsy often have reduced physical activity levels.
- Physical activity interventions aim to improve health and functional outcomes.
- Long-term adherence to physical activities post-intervention is a key concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if children with cerebral palsy maintain attendance and involvement in physical activities after completing interventions.
- To synthesize evidence on the sustained effects of physical activity interventions on participation in children with cerebral palsy.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
- Searched seven databases (2001-2020) and reference lists for relevant studies.
- Included studies with participants aged 0-18 years (≥50% with cerebral palsy) and ≥1 month follow-up post-intervention.
Main Results:
- Thirteen studies (11 RCTs, 2 case series) involving 4-16.7 year olds were included.
- Twelve studies reported attendance; only three showed initial positive changes.
- Only two studies showed maintained positive changes at 4-14 weeks; one study reported sustained involvement improvement.
Conclusions:
- Physical activity interventions show potential for short-term improvements in attendance for children with cerebral palsy.
- Evidence for sustained physical activity attendance and involvement post-intervention is limited.
- Further research with robust designs and longer follow-up periods is necessary.
Purpose:
To investigate if children with cerebral palsy have sustained attendance and involvement in physical activities after completing physical activity interventions.
Methods:
The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. Seven databases were searched for the period 2001-2020 with hand-searching of pertinent reference lists. Criteria for study inclusion were participants aged 0-18 years and ≥50% with cerebral palsy; follow-up ≥1 month beyond completion of the physical activity intervention; and measurement of attendance and/or involvement in any physical activity post-intervention. Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessments (Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) or tool for non-randomised studies) were completed independently by paired reviewers. Results were compiled by narrative synthesis.
Results:
Thirteen studies were included (11 randomised controlled trials (RCTs), two non-randomised case series; intervention sample sizes: 6-34). All study participants had cerebral palsy and were aged 4-16.7 years. PEDro scores for the RCTs ranged from 5 to 10; 10 did not blind one or more therapist, participant, or assessor. Two case series showed high risk of bias. Twelve studies reported on attendance, with positive changes in three studies. At 4-14 weeks post-intervention, two studies demonstrated positive changes were maintained. Four studies included involvement outcomes; one reporting positive changes in physical activity involvement four weeks after intervention completion.
Conclusions:
Physical activity attendance may be influenced by physical activity interventions in the short term, but more robust research designs are required to investigate whether gains can be sustained. Activity involvement, which may influence ongoing participation, is under-researched.Implications for RehabilitationPositive changes in attendance and involvement following physical activity interventions appear short term at best.Physical activity interventions should have longer follow-up periods to determine the effect on sustained physical activity participation.Careful selection and reporting of attendance and involvement outcome measures is required.The optimal physical activity intervention to increase attendance or involvement in physical activities remains uncertain.
