Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34313979›Full record

SynthesisSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2021

Healthier Minds in Fitter Bodies: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Association between Physical Fitness and Mental Health in Youth.

Cristina Cadenas-Sanchez, Alejandra Mena-Molina, Lucia V Torres-Lopez, Jairo H Migueles, María Rodriguez-Ayllon, David R Lubans, Francisco B Ortega

Open access · greenAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 43 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
43citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
11.4field-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

43 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 87 citations in OpenAlex.

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  16. Declining Outdoor Recreation and Increased Use of Fitness Centers Among Norwegian Adolescents, 2010-2019.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
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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

7 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.

Cristina Cadenas-SanchezInstitute for Innovation & Sustainable Development in Food Chain (IS-FOOD), Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarre, Pamplona, Spain. cristina.cadenas@unavarra.es.ORCID 0000-0002-4513-9108
Alejandra Mena-MolinaPROFITH 'PROmoting FITness and Health Through Physical Activity' Research Group, Sport and Health University Research Institute (iMUDS), Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Lucia V Torres-LopezPROFITH 'PROmoting FITness and Health Through Physical Activity' Research Group, Sport and Health University Research Institute (iMUDS), Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Jairo H MiguelesPROFITH 'PROmoting FITness and Health Through Physical Activity' Research Group, Sport and Health University Research Institute (iMUDS), Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
María Rodriguez-AyllonPROFITH 'PROmoting FITness and Health Through Physical Activity' Research Group, Sport and Health University Research Institute (iMUDS), Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
David R LubansPriority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition, College of Human and Social Futures, University of Newcastle, Callaghan Campus, Newcastle, Australia.
Francisco B OrtegaPROFITH 'PROmoting FITness and Health Through Physical Activity' Research Group, Sport and Health University Research Institute (iMUDS), Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Universidad de Granada · ESUniversity of Newcastle Australia · AU

Funding

Andalusian Operational Programme supported with European Regional Development Funds B-CTS-355-UGR18European Union's 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement 667302EXERNET Research Network on Exercise and Health in Special Populations DEP2005-00046/ACTIJunta de Andalucía, Consejería de Conocimiento, Investigación y Universidades and European Regional Development Funds SOMM17/6107/UGRNational Health and Medical Research Council Senior Research Fellowship APP1154507SAMID III network, RETICS, funded by the PN I + D+I 2017-2021 (Spain), ISCIII- Sub-Directorate General for Research Assessment and Promotion, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) RD16/0022Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the "Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) DEP2013-47540Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the "Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) DEP2016-79512-RSpanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the "Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) DEP2017-91544-EXPSpanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the "Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) RYC-2011-09011Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport FPU15/02645Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport FPU17/04802Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation FJC2018-037925-I
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPhysical fitness is an important marker of current and future health status, yet the association between physical fitness and indicators of mental health in youth has not been systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed.

objectiveThe aim of this work was to systematically review and meta-analyze the association between physical fitness components (i.e. cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, speed-agility, flexibility and fitness composite) and mental health indicators (i.e. psychological well-being and psychological ill-being) in preschoolers, children and adolescents.

designSystematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Systematic searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus from database inception to May 2020. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Studies (cross-sectional, longitudinal and intervention designs) were included if they measured at least one physical fitness component and one mental health indicator in healthy youth (2-18 years).

resultsA total of 58 unique studies (52 cross-sectional, 4 longitudinal and 4 intervention studies) met all eligibility criteria and were included. There was a significant positive overall association between physical fitness and mental health in children and adolescents (pooled r = 0.206, p < 0.001). We found suggestive evidence of moderation by age group, fitness components and socioeconomic status (all p < 0.08). No relevant studies focusing on preschoolers were identified. Evidence based on longitudinal and intervention studies was limited.

conclusionWe observed a small to medium sized positive association between physical fitness and overall mental health in youth. However, as the majority of studies were cross-sectional, additional longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to provide evidence of causation.

trial registrationPROSPERO registration number CRD42017080005.

Indexed as

Cardiorespiratory FitnessMental HealthAdolescentChildExerciseHealth StatusHumansPhysical Fitness

Identifiers

PMID34313979
OpenAlexW3186102803

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.