Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42510283›Full record

ArticleBehavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Effects of a Cognitively Enriched Playful Physical Activity Program on Executive Functions and School Readiness in Preschool Children.

Anis Ben Chikha, Özgür Eken, Birgül Arslanoğlu, Rahma Lousaif, Chiraz Goumni, Nejha Bouallegui, Melih Çalışır, Nizar Souissi, Monira I Aldhahi

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In one paragraph

Article in Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

9 authors.

Anis Ben ChikhaThe Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education (Ksar Saïd), University of Manouba, Manouba 2010, Tunisia.
Özgür EkenDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Teaching, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Inonu University, Malatya 44280, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0002-5488-3158
Birgül ArslanoğluDepartment of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Letters, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul 34469, Türkiye.
Rahma LousaifThe Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education (Ksar Saïd), University of Manouba, Manouba 2010, Tunisia.
Chiraz GoumniThe Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education (Ksar Saïd), University of Manouba, Manouba 2010, Tunisia.
Nejha BoualleguiThe Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education (Ksar Saïd), University of Manouba, Manouba 2010, Tunisia.
Melih ÇalışırDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Teaching, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Bitlis Eren University, Bitlis 13000, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0002-2133-2843
Nizar SouissiThe Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education (Ksar Saïd), University of Manouba, Manouba 2010, Tunisia.
Monira I AldhahiDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-5255-4860

Funding

Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University PNURSP2026R286
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Executive functions (EFs) are foundational for early learning and school readiness. Interventions that couple motor engagement with explicit cognitive demands may offer an efficient approach to support EFs during preschool years. This exploratory randomized controlled trial examined the preliminary effects of an 8-week Playful Physical Activities (PPA) program on EF and school readiness. Preschool children were randomized to (i) PPA, a structured program integrating executive challenges (response inhibition, working memory, and planning) into movement games, or (ii) an active control receiving the regular physical education curriculum (3 sessions/week, 60 min/session, 8 weeks). Outcomes were assessed before and after the intervention and included Go/No-Go error rate, BVMT-R immediate and delayed recall, RCFT copy score, and school readiness domains (mathematical, linguistic, and social competence). Group × Time effects were tested using mixed ANOVA and summarized with partial eta squared (η

Indexed as

attention and inhibitioncognitively enriched movementexecutive functionspreschool educationschool readinessvisuospatial learning

Identifiers

PMID42510283
PMCPMC13405789

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.