Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40597379›Full record

SynthesisThe international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity2025

Optimal dosage of group-based organized physical activity for enhancing social abilities in autistic children: insights from a multilevel meta-analysis.

Jinrong He, Yikang Gong, Mingyue Yin, Lei Zhang, Xueping Wu

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Article
  5. Review
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

5 authors.

Jinrong HeSchool of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3963-1894
Yikang GongSchool of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5023-5889
Mingyue YinSchool of Athletic Performance, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6105-8797
Lei ZhangSchool of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6194-2722
Xueping WuSchool of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, China. wuxueping@sus.edu.cn.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9563-3796

Funding

National Education Scientific Planning Projects No. BLA230105
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn response to current research trends emphasizing training programs to develop daily living skills in autistic children, this study employs a meta-analysis to explore the impact of group-based organized physical activity (GBOPA) on the social abilities of autistic children from multiple perspectives and further investigates its dose‒response relationship to define the "optimal" dose.

methodsWe searched the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases to identify relevant studies and screen their references. The effect size was calculated via Hedges' g, and three-level random effects models were constructed via the metafor package in R. Moderation and regression analyses were conducted to explore significant influencing factors.

resultsThis study included 24 articles from ten countries and included 1,042 participants (aged 4.56-11.11 years). The meta-analysis results clearly show that GBOPA can significantly improve social abilities (g = 0.48, Q = 114.84), including social functioning (g = 0.50, Q = 62.97) and communication (g = 0.37, Q = 48.07), in autistic children. Moderation analysis indicated that different age groups and training frequencies significantly affected social ability (between-group difference: p < 0.05). Specifically, interventions for early childhood children (g = 0.65) and a frequency of five sessions per week (g = 0.69) significantly enhanced the training effects on social ability. The multivariate meta-regression analysis results suggest that the optimal intervention for improving social ability in autistic children consists of 40 training sessions, each lasting 50 min.

conclusionsGBOPA can improve the social abilities of autistic children, including social functioning and communication. On the basis of existing evidence, GBOPA should be prioritized for early childhood autistic children (5 sessions per week, 50 min per session), followed by a transition to a maintenance intervention strategy (1-2 sessions per week) after completing the 8-week foundational cycle (a total of 2,000 min of exercise).

Indexed as

Autistic DisorderExerciseSocial BehaviorSocial SkillsChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansMaleAutistic childrenGroup-based organized physical activityMeta-analysisSocial abilities

Identifiers

PMID40597379
PMCPMC12210644

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.