SynthesisBMC public health2026
Interventions that support women, girls, and people who menstruate to participate in physical activity: a rapid overview of reviews.
Synthesis in BMC public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Interventions that support women, girls, and people who menstruate to participate in physical activity: a rapid overview of reviews.BMC public health · 2026Pooled it
- Examining physical activity and menstrual cycle experiences among insufficiently active women: Project PACE protocol.Health psychology and behavioral medicine · 2026Article
- Psychosocial transformation in women new to fitness: a phenomenological study on body image, self-confidence, and identity construction.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Exercise and physical activity changes during the menstrual cycle in users of the Flo app.Women's health (London, England)Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAdults (age 18–64 years) are recommended 150–300 min of moderate-to-vigorous or 75–150 min of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week. Irrespective, the number of women not meeting recommended physical activity is 5% higher than men globally. Women, girls and people who menstruate face multiple barriers to physical activity participation, including gender bias, low perceived exercise competence, and insufficient support from peers and/or family. Moreover, menstruation is often reported as a barrier. Numerous interventions have been proposed to increase women’s and girls’ physical activity participation, while little is known about interventions for people who menstruate. Therefore, the aim of this rapid overview of reviews was to summarise systematic reviews investigating the effectiveness of interventions that support women, girls, and people who menstruate to participate in physical activity. Additionally, this review examined whether any of these interventions incorporated managing physical activity participation throughout the menstrual cycle.
methodsBibliographic databases (MEDLINE, Emcare, and AMED on OVID platform; CINAHL and SPORTDiscus on EBSCO; Epistemonikos, and Cochrane Database) and grey literature were searched in March 2024. Title/abstract screening was conducted by one reviewer and 20% of records checked by a second. Full-text screening was performed by two reviewers. Data extraction and critical appraisal (using JBI systematic review checklist) were conducted by one reviewer with another checking accuracy. Findings were summarised narratively.
resultsFifteen systematic reviews across 16 reports (published between 2008 and 2024) met the inclusion criteria. The population included young and adolescent girls (n = 9), adult women (n = 3), mothers and daughters (n = 2), and mixed population (n = 1). A wide range of interventions were identified which were educational, environmental or multicomponent. None of the included systematic reviews described interventions focusing on managing physical activity participation throughout the menstrual cycle. Most reviews found mixed effectiveness in increasing physical activity participation, leading to inconclusive results.
conclusionWhile multicomponent interventions may lead to better physical activity outcomes, it is unclear what combined elements are the most effective. There is a need for high quality research to identify interventions that could help girls, women, and people who menstruate to be physically active, and consider barriers related to the menstrual cycle. REVIEW REGISTRATION: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/XTYCW
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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.