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The Effect of Physical Activity Intervention on Motor Proficiency in Children and Adolescents with ADHD: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

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Abstract

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a frequently diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder in children and adolescents. The objective of this review was to synthesize empirical studies that investigated the effects of physical activity (PA) on motor proficiency in this population. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following the cochrane guidelines for systematic reviews. In May 2022, a systematic search of eight electronic databases retrieved 476 results, which were screened independently by two reviewers. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 12 studies were selected for systematic review, and 10 were included in the meta-analysis. A beneficial effect of PA on overall motor proficiency (SMD = 1.12; 95% CI [0.63 to 1.61]; p < 0.05) was observed. Similar positive effects were found for motor proficiency composites, including object control, fine manual control, and body coordination. These results indicate that PA improves the motor proficiency of children and adolescents with ADHD.

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Funding

Venus H.L. Liu, F.H. Sun, Andy C.Y. Tse, and David I. Anderson declare that they received no funding for the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health and Physical Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Hok Ling Venus Liu, Fenghua Sun & Choi Yeung Andy Tse

  2. Marian Wright Edelman Institute, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, USA

    David I. Anderson

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  1. Hok Ling Venus Liu
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  2. Fenghua Sun
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  4. Choi Yeung Andy Tse
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Contributions

VHLL and ACYT were responsible for conceptualizing the review, delimiting the scope of the search, and formulating hypotheses. Venus VHLL and FHS conducted the systematic search, data extraction, assessment of risk of bias and completed all statistical analyses. FHS, ACYT, and DIA reviewed and edited the initial draft of the manuscript and its revisions. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Hok Ling Venus Liu.

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Venus H.L. Liu, F.H. Sun, Andy C.Y. Tse, and David I. Anderson declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Not applicable as the study was conducted with the secondary data.

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Liu, H.L.V., Sun, F., Anderson, D.I. et al. The Effect of Physical Activity Intervention on Motor Proficiency in Children and Adolescents with ADHD: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-023-01546-5

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