Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29387718›Full record

SynthesisBioMed research international2017

Effects of Physical Activity on Motor Skills and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood: A Systematic Review.

Nan Zeng, Mohammad Ayyub, Haichun Sun, Xu Wen, Ping Xiang, Zan Gao

Open access · hybridAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BioMed research international, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 156 papers, 21 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
156citing papers in PubMed, 21 pooled it
24.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

156 citing papers in PubMed, 21 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 437 citations in OpenAlex.

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  3. Effects of movement behaviors on preschoolers' cognition: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2025
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96 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Nan ZengSchool of Kinesiology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 1900 University Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4491-4974
Mohammad AyyubCollege of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3234-8920
Haichun SunCollege of Education, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, EDU105, Tampa, FL 33620-5650, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-5609-9148
Xu WenDepartment of Physical Education, College of Education, Zhejiang University, 148 Tianmushan Road, Hangzhou 310028, China.
Ping XiangCollege of Education and Human Development, Texas A&M University, Harrington Education Center Office Tower, 4222 TAMU, 540 Ross Street, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
Zan GaoSchool of Kinesiology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 1900 University Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-6037-0439
University of Minnesota · USTexas A&M University · USUniversity of South Florida · USZhejiang University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study synthesized literature concerning casual evidence of effects of various physical activity programs on motor skills and cognitive development in typically developed preschool children.

methodsElectronic databases were searched through July 2017. Peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effectiveness of physical activity on motor skills and cognitive development in healthy young children (4-6 years) were screened.

resultsA total of 15 RCTs were included. Of the 10 studies assessing the effects of physical activity on motor skills, eight (80%) reported significant improvements in motor performance and one observed mixed findings, but one failed to promote any beneficial outcomes. Of the five studies investigating the influence of physical activity on cognitive development, four (80%) showed significant and positive changes in language learning, academic achievement, attention, and working memory. Notably, one indicated no significant improvements were observed after the intervention.

conclusionsFindings support causal evidence of effects of physical activity on both motor skills and cognitive development in preschool children. Given the shortage of available studies, future research with large representative samples is warranted to explore the relationships between physical activity and cognitive domains as well as strengthen and confirm the dose-response evidence in early childhood.

Indexed as

ChildChild DevelopmentChild, PreschoolCognitionExerciseFemaleHumansMaleMotor SkillsRandomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Identifiers

PMID29387718
PMCPMC5745693
OpenAlexW2771722199

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.