ArticleJournal of exercise science and fitness2021
Influence of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity in children: A scoping review of the literature.
Article in Journal of exercise science and fitness, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 49 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
49 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Technology-Supported Physical Activity and Its Potential as a Tool to Promote Young Women's Physical Activity and Physical Literacy: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Pooled it
- Global Changes in Child and Adolescent Physical Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.JAMA pediatrics · 2022Pooled it
- Sonographic elastography evaluation of the orbicularis oris muscle inferior during muscle contraction generating maximal tensile force in children.Odontology · 2026Article
- Physical activity and healthy nutrition campaign for primary school children in developing countries: implementation of the build our kids' success (BOKS) program in Indonesia.Physical activity and nutrition · 2026Article
- Changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviours of children living in Italy due to the COVID-19 pandemic: the EPaS-ISS study.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2025Article
- Reduced Physical Activity and Increased Weight Status in Children and Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Unraveling the Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Youth Sports and Physical Activity: Insights From a Retrospective Cohort Study in Italy.International journal of pediatrics · 2025Article
- Effect of a Web-Based Nutritional and Physical Activity Intervention With Email Support (the EDDY Program) on Primary School Children's BMI Z-Score During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Intervention Study.JMIR pediatrics and parenting · 2024Article
- KidsTUMove-A Holistic Program for Children with Chronic Diseases, Increasing Physical Activity and Mental Health.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Changes to Secondary School Physical Activity Programs and Policy after Emerging from COVID-19 Lockdowns.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- Childhood physical activity and pubertal timing: findings from the LEGACY girls study.International journal of epidemiology · 2024Article
- Physical activity, screen time and dietary behaviours in New Zealand adolescents prior to and following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on neurodevelopmental outcome in very low birth weight infants: a nationwide cohort study.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2024Article
- "I couldn't see my friends; the internet was bad, and I hardly went out" - insights into children's and adolescents' experiences of COVID-19 in Germany.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2023Article
- Parents' attitudes regarding their children's play during COVID-19: Impact of socioeconomic status and urbanicity.SSM - population health · 2023Article
- Organized physical activity and sedentary behaviors in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, and intellectual disability.World journal of psychiatry · 2023Article
- What is the health status of girls and boys in the COVID-19 pandemic? Selected results of the KIDA study.Journal of health monitoring · 2023Article
- Trends in and relations between children's health-related behaviors pre-, mid- and post-Covid.European journal of public health · 2023Article
- Asia-Pacific consensus statement on integrated 24-hour activity guidelines for the early years.The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific · 2023Review
- Was it really different? COVID-19-pandemic period in long-term recreation monitoring - A case study from Polish forests.Journal of outdoor recreation and tourism · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/
objectivesThere is an urgent concern about physical inactivity among children caused by recent restrictions for containing the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This scoping review aims to identify the impact of the pandemic and related factors on children's physical activity (PA).
methodsTwenty-one studies published in 2020 that evaluated PA among children under the age of 18 were extracted from electronic databases. The survey contexts, samples, PA measurement methods, and main findings of each study were categorized and summarized.
resultsThe review yielded the following results: 1) the PA of children and adolescents mostly decreased; 2) the decrease in PA was more prevalent in boys and older children and adolescents; 3) the decrease in PA was less prevalent in children who live in detached houses, houses with more space, rural areas, and with more family members; and 4) parental support and consideration of location and activity types may help children maintain or increase their PA during the pandemic.
conclusionThis review shows a decline in PA among children and raises concerns about the pandemic's impact on physical and mental health. Declines in PA appear greater among children who participate in organized team sports and those with limited space and opportunity for habitual PA at home or in their neighborhood. Public support for children and families should consider these findings to prevent the negative effects of physical inactivity.
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Registered trials
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.