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Document Type

Abstract

Publication Date

12-1-2024

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of exercise interventions in improving typical symptoms of ADHD in children, and to explore the influence of factors.

Methods: Literature searches were conducted in seven major databases, including PubMed and Web of Science, up to August 2023, collecting randomized controlled trials on the effects of exercise interventions on ADHD. Literature screening and selection were conducted by two researchers independently, and a series of meta-analyses were conducted using Stata 16.0 software.

Results: Twenty randomized controlled trial articles were included, including 13 related to attention indicators and 17 related to behavior indicators. Compared with the control group, exercise intervention could effectively improve the attention and behavior of children with ADHD (SMDbehavior = -0.66, 95% CI: -1.21 to -0.11, P < 0.05; SMDattention = -0.53, 95% CI: -0.53 to -0.06, P < 0.05). For exercise duration, ADHD children who participated in exercise for more than 10 weeks showed better improvement in attention and behavior (SMDattention-1-10 weeks = -1.15, 95% CI: -0.89 to -0.33; SMDattention-more than 10 weeks = -1.1, 95% CI: -2.17 to -0.07; SMDbehavior-1-10 weeks = -0.17, 95% CI: -0.36 to 0.03; SMDbehavior-more than 10 weeks = -0.54, 95% CI: -0.81 to -0.27). For participation frequency, ADHD children who participated in exercise more than 3 times per week showed better improvement in behavior (SMDbehavior-1-2 times/week = 0.15, 95% CI: -0.36 to -0.65; SMDbehavior-3 times/week = -0.88, 95% CI: -1.50 to -0.26), with no effect on attention. For exercise duration, the improvement in children's attention increased with the increase in exercise participation time (SMDattention-less than 40 mins = -0.06, 95% CI: -0.46 to 0.35; SMDattention-40-60 mins = -0.32, 95% CI: -0.98 to -0.34; SMDattention-more than 60 mins = -1.29, 95% CI: -2.23 to -0.88), with no effect on behavior. For exercise intensity, moderate intensity was more conducive to improving attention, while moderate to high intensity was more conducive to improving behavior (SMDattention-moderate intensity = -1.6, 95% CI: -2.33 to -0.88; SMDattention-moderate to high intensity = -0.57, 95% CI: -1.43 to 0.30; SMDbehavior-moderate intensity = -0.25, 95% CI: -0.68 to 0.18; SMDbehavior-moderate to high intensity = -1.01, 95% CI: -1.80 to -0.22).

Conclusion: Exercise interventions can effectively improve the attention and behavior of children with ADHD, but for the improvement of different symptoms, targeted exercise prescriptions should be considered.

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