The Effects of Family Sports on Mental Health in Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis

Objective: To systematically review the effects of family-based physical activity interventions on the mental health of children and adolescents and identify potential moderators. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, Elsevier, Web of Science, Cochrane, and three major Chinese databases for randomized controlled trials and non-randomized controlled trials on family-based physical activity interventions targeting mental health in children and adolescents aged 5-19 years. Searches were conducted through 10 February 2026. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Meta-analyses were performed using CMA 3.3. Results: Eleven studies involving 1160 participants were included. The random-effects model indicated that the overall pooled effect size for family physical activity interventions included in this study was (g = 0.443, 95% CI: 0.272-0.614), suggesting that family physical activity interventions, regardless of their specific components, are generally associated with improved mental health in children and adolescents. Further analysis revealed that this overall effect reached statistical significance in the positive mental health dimensions (e.g., self-esteem, emotional well-being) (g = 0.467, 95% CI: 0.271-0.663), whereas it did not reach statistical significance in the negative psychological symptoms dimensions (e.g., depression) (g = 0.358, p > 0.05). Subgroup analyses indicated that intervention location (home-based group g = 0.26 vs. non-home-based group g = 0.55), intervention duration (≤3 months, g = 0.54 vs. >3 months, g = 0.36), and program type (non-multicomponent programs, g = 0.26 vs. multicomponent programs, g = 0.55) showed no statistically significant differences in their effects across groups (p > 0.05). No significant effects were observed in the overall meta-regression model. Conclusions: Current evidence suggests that family involvement may provide a more conducive setting for physical activity interventions targeting children and adolescents; overall, such interventions are associated with improvements in positive mental health. However, this finding should be interpreted as a composite estimate of intervention programs across various heterogeneous factors, such as different modes of family involvement and program components, and their effects on reducing negative psychological symptoms remain unclear. Future research should further refine the composition of these interventions and conduct high-quality, long-term studies to clarify their key components and long-term effects.