SynthesisFrontiers in psychology2026
Effects of structured step-aerobics interventions on psychological well-being in nonclinical populations: a systematic review.
Synthesis in Frontiers in psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: To identify, appraise, and narratively synthesize the effects of structured step-aerobics interventions on psychological well-being in nonclinical populations. Methods: The eligibility criteria included intervention studies in nonclinical human samples evaluating structured step aerobics and reporting quantitative psychological or psychosocial outcomes. PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, and Scopus were searched. The RoB 2 or ROBINS-I were used to assess the risk of bias. Results were synthesized narratively. Results: Seventeen studies were included (10 randomized, 7 nonrandomized; 11 repeated programs, 6 acute studies). Across this small and evidence base, preliminary favorable signals were observed for sleep quality, quality-of-life or general mental-health outcomes, depressive symptoms in one menopause-focused study, and some acute anxiety-related responses, but these findings remain uncertain because all included studies were at high or serious risk of bias. Findings for body image, self-perceptions, enjoyment, and socially evaluative outcomes were mixed and context dependent. All randomized studies were at high risk of bias and all nonrandomized studies at serious risk of bias. Conclusion: Current evidence is insufficient to determine whether structured step aerobics improves psychological well-being in nonclinical populations. The available studies suggest areas for further investigation, particularly sleep quality, broader perceived well-being, and acute psychological responses, but adequately powered and better-reported trials are needed before effectiveness or practical recommendations can be established. Systematic review registration: https://osf.io/5kgvd, registered in Open Science Framework (osf.io/5kgvd; 17/03/2026).
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