SynthesisFrontiers in public health2024
Effects of structured and unstructured interventions on fundamental motor skills in preschool children: a meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 4 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
12 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The Effects of Exergames on Fundamental Movement Skills in Childhood: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Sports medicine - open · 2026Pooled it
- Effectiveness of school-based interventions on fundamental movement skills in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2025Pooled it
- Can active play replace skill-oriented physical education in enhancing fundamental movement skills among preschool children? A systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2025Pooled it
- Reviewing the association between motor competence and physical activity from a behavioral genetic perspective.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Pooled it
- Trial
- Associations Between Exercise Experiences in the Home Environment During Early Childhood and Motor Skill Development in Preschool Children: A Longitudinal Follow-Up Study.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Postural Stability and Physical Fitness in Preschool Children: Associations with Lower-Limb Muscular Strength, Speed/Agility, and Cardiorespiratory Fitness.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Article
- Motor engagement, physical activity intensity, and enjoyment in pre-school children during different game-based formats.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- The Role of School Environment on the Sustainable Development of Pre-Schoolers' Motor Creativity.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Parental and Educator Perceptions of Implementing Standardized Screenings for Early Detection of Motor Skills in Preschoolers: A Representative Survey.Child: care, health and development · 2025Article
- Exploring the Relationship Between Play During School Recess and Motor Performance in 6- to 8-Year-Old Children.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: It has been suggested that higher levels of fundamental motor skills (FMS) promote the physical health of preschool-aged children. The impacts of structured and unstructured interventions on FMS in children aged 10-16 years have been widely acknowledged in previous studies. However, there is a lack of relevant studies in preschool-aged children. Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to compare the effects of structured and unstructured interventions on FMS in preschool-aged children. Methods: The PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were searched from inception to 1 November 2023 to identify experiments describing structured and unstructured interventions for FMS in preschool-aged children. The Downs and Black Checklist was used to assess the risk of bias. A random effects model was used for the meta-analysis to evaluate the pooled effects of interventions on FMS. Subgroup analyses based on the duration and characteristics of the intervention were conducted to identify sources of heterogeneity. Results: A total of 23 studies with 4,068 participants were included. There were 12 studies examining structured interventions, 9 studies examining unstructured interventions, and 6 studies comparing structured vs. unstructured interventions. The risk of bias in the included studies was generally low. All interventions significantly improved FMS in preschool-aged children compared to control treatments ( Conclusion: Structured interventions play a crucial role in enhancing FMS among young children, especially when considering LMSs. These interventions require consistent and repeated practice over time to reach proficiency. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO, identifier number CRD42023475088, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023475088.
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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.