Research on the impact of structured school-based physical activity programs on pre-adolescents' physical fitness and psychosocial well-being

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the future-work section and stated research gap and conclusions of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 1973 and 2026, spanning 6 journals. Those papers have been cited 140 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 8 representative gaps

• Physical activity in autism: a critical review and the Dual-Outcome Model of motor gains and psychophysiological load (2026) · Health Problems of Civilization · doi

  Future research should investigate the effects of physical activity on children with autism spectrum disorder using a dual-outcome approach. Future research should consider co-occurring conditions and individualize program design to support both motor development and overall well-being. Future research should aim to develop and validate assessment tools to evaluate psychophysiological load.

  generalfuture-work sectionevidence 5/5
  Keywords: future research investigate effects physical activity children autism
• The Effects of Structured School-Based Physical Activity on Fitness and Psychosocial Well-Being in Pre-Adolescents (2026) · Physical Education Theory and Methodology · doi

  There is a lack of research on the impact of structured school-based physical activity programs on pre-adolescents' physical fitness and psychosocial well-being. Prior research has focused on older children and adolescents, leaving a gap in knowledge about the effects of physical activity on younger children.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: there lack research impact structured school-based physical activity
• Moving minds: the associations between movement and cognitive development in early years (2026) · Sport Sciences for Health · doi

  Future studies should examine the relationships between 24-h movement behaviours and executive function in larger samples. Future research should consider the development of interventions to promote physical activity and sleep in early childhood. The study suggests that age should be considered as a variable in future developmental models.

  generalfuture-work sectionevidence 5/5
  Keywords: future studies examine relationships between movement behaviours executive
• Research in the Humanities: Ideals and Idols. (1973) · Daedalus · cited 49× · doi

  There is a lack of research on parental beliefs concerning the involvement in physical activity of young people with Down syndrome. There is a need to explore the factors that influence physical activity participation for people with Down syndrome. There is a gap in the development and implementation of adapted physical activity programmes for people with Down syndrome.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: there lack research parental beliefs concerning involvement physical
• Associations between physical activity and adolescent well-being: a loneliness-moderated chain mediation model with explainable machine learning (2026) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi

  Future research should examine the longitudinal associations between physical activity and adolescent well-being. Future research should investigate the mechanisms by which physical activity influences cognitive reappraisal and psychological resilience. Future research should explore the potential of physical activity interventions to improve adolescent well-being.

  generalfuture-work sectionevidence 5/5
  Keywords: future research examine longitudinal associations between physical activity
• Effects of different exercise interventions on executive function in children with autism spectrum disorder: a network meta-analysis (2024) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · cited 33× · doi

  Further research is needed to investigate the long-term effects of physical activity on executive functioning in children with ASD. More studies are needed to fully establish the effectiveness ranking of different sports on executive functioning in children with ASD. Research on the effects of physical activity on executive functioning in children with ASD should consider the type and intensity of the physical activity.

  generalfuture-work sectionevidence 5/5
  Keywords: further research needed investigate long-term effects physical activity
• Enhancing adolescent health: the role of strength and endurance school-based HIIT interventions in physical fitness and cognitive development (2025) · Frontiers in Psychology · cited 9× · doi

  Future research could focus on extending the duration of interventions, exploring both the acute and chronic effects of exercise, and considering contextual and motivational factors to optimize outcomes and encourage adherence to physical activity both inside and outside the school environment.

  generalconclusionsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: future focus extending duration interventions exploring acute chronic effects exercise considering contextual motivational factors optimize
• Research in the Humanities: Ideals and Idols. (1973) · Daedalus · cited 49× · doi

  Future studies should investigate the actual physical activity levels of young people with Down syndrome. Future research should develop and implement adapted physical activity programmes for people with Down syndrome. Future studies should explore the impact of environmental barriers on physical activity participation for people with Down syndrome.

  generalfuture-work sectionevidence 4/5
  Keywords: future studies investigate actual physical activity levels young

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