Systematic review of the evidence on physical activity prescriptions for youth

Despite the well-documented benefits of physical activity (PA), globally, only 20 % of youth engage in sufficient PA. Reviews support the benefits of PA prescriptions on promoting adults' PA, but no comparable reviews exist on studies among youth. This systematic review 1) assesses the state of the evidence regarding PA prescriptions from healthcare practitioners on youths' PA; and 2) identifies gaps to inform future research and practice.

A search of five databases in October 2023 identified 3067 articles. After title and/or abstract reviews, 64 full articles were reviewed for inclusion criteria. Study, sample, and PA prescription characteristics and findings regarding youths' PA were extracted.

Nine articles published 2001-2023 from the United States (n = 6), Spain (n = 1), Northern Ireland (n = 1), and the United States and Mexico (n = 1) were identified. Seven occurred in medical settings and two in schools. Study designs were generally strong (e.g., randomized controlled trials) and study durations were generally short (3-4 months). All but two studies measured youths' PA with self-report questionnaires. Most PA prescriptions were provided in verbal and written forms and tailored based on youths' baseline PA. Overall, healthcare practitioner-delivered PA prescriptions show minimal effects on youths' PA. Neither of the two studies that objectively measured PA found significant PA increases in objectively measured PA.

There is insufficient research on healthcare practitioner delivered PA prescriptions to promote youths' PA to determine effectiveness. Future research with objectively measured PA and more diverse youth samples would advance the evidence.