Physical Literacy and Obesity Risk in Children: A Systematic Review

(1) Background: Childhood obesity is one of the greatest challenges facing public health in the 21st century. Currently, there is a great deal of interest in the concept of physical literacy due to its comprehensive nature on the development of physical activity. Physical literacy can be described as the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life. The aim of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the literature examining the relationship between physical literacy and risk of obesity in children. This paper also focuses on providing an evaluation of the availability and effectiveness of current physical literacy assessment tools. (2) Methods: This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. (3) Results: A total of 3267 papers were identified from five major databases. Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria, with nine studies included in the final review following quality appraisal. (4) Conclusions: This review identified significant gaps in our understanding of physical literacy emphasising the need for a consistent framework, standardised assessment tools and more experimental research.