Chronic exercise interventions for executive function in overweight children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Exercise Science
• Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• Executive functions (EFs) are crucial cognitive processes. Overweight children often exhibit challenges with EFs. Physical activity (PA) is a potential intervention strategy.
• Chronic exercise interventions are increasingly explored for their impact on child development.
• Understanding the specific benefits of exercise on EFs in overweight youth is critical for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate the effectiveness of chronic exercise as an intervention for executive functions (EFs) in children.
• To synthesize existing research on the relationship between physical activity and EFs in overweight youth.
• To identify moderators influencing the exercise-EF relationship in this population.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across major databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, etc.) up to July 2023.
• Included studies focused on overweight children (0-18 years) with pre- and post-intervention EF data.
• Meta-analysis of 10 studies (843 participants) assessed effect size, heterogeneity, and publication bias, with subgroup analyses for intervention parameters.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant, small positive effect (g=0.3) of chronic exercise on EFs in overweight children was observed.
• No significant heterogeneity was found across the included studies (I²=0).
• The positive impact on EFs was consistent regardless of intervention duration, frequency, or session length.

Conclusions:

• Chronic exercise demonstrates a consistent positive effect on executive functions in overweight children.
• The findings suggest that exercise is a viable intervention for improving cognitive skills in this demographic.
• Further high-quality research is warranted due to limitations in the number and design of existing studies.