This meta-analysis pooled 17 studies of physical activity programs for children with, or at risk for, ADHD and/or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Fifteen were randomized controlled trials and two were quasi-experimental studies. Together they included 881 children aged 3 to 18, and 71% of those whose sex was reported were male. The programs varied widely, from yoga and table tennis to horseback riding, exergaming and aerobic games. Total program time ranged from 320 to 3,240 minutes.
Compared with comparison groups, the programs led to small-to-moderate drops in ADHD symptoms as rated by parents and teachers. Hyperactivity and impulsivity improved, and so did combined ADHD symptoms. The drop in inattention was borderline and fell just short of the usual cutoff. No benefit was found for ODD symptoms or day-to-day functioning, but only a few studies tested these.
The authors note limits. They reviewed only published studies in three languages, and the included studies were often small. They say including children without a formal diagnosis lowered the overall estimate.
The authors suggest such programs serve as an add-on to existing ADHD treatment for children, not a replacement, ideally with features like rules, routines and mental challenges.
Talk to a clinician about your own situation.
The numbers Stats and what the terms mean
The statistics behind the plain-language claims above.
- Bustamante, 2022: change in inattention symptoms, g = − 0.41 (95% CI -0.82; 0.00, p = .05).
- Bustamante, 2022: change in hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms, g = − 0.30 (95% CI -0.56; − 0.04, p < .05).
- Bustamante, 2022: change in combined ADHD symptoms, g = − 0.50 (95% CI -0.82; − 0.17, p < .01).
- Bustamante, 2022: change in ODD symptoms, g = − 0.06 (95% CI: − 1.05, 0.93, p = .819).
- Bustamante, 2022: change in day-to-day functioning, g = 0.01 (95% CI: − 0.05; 0.07, p = .40).
- Bustamante, 2022: link between study quality and the size of the effect, p = .236. What the terms mean:
- g (Hedges' g) is an effect size, a number that shows how big a difference is, separate from whether it was statistically significant. Here it compares the activity groups with the comparison groups, and a negative value favors physical activity. Roughly, 0.2 is small, 0.5 is moderate and 0.8 is large. A minus sign shows the direction of the change, not its size.
- 95% CI is the confidence interval, a range of values around the result that fit the data reasonably well. A narrow range means a more precise result, and a wide one a less precise result.
- p is the p-value, a number that shows how unusual a result would be if there were really no effect. It depends on the study's own assumptions being right.
Source: Bustamante E, Balbim G, Ramer J, et al.. Diverse multi-week physical activity programs reduce ADHD symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychology of Sport and Exercise (2022). doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2022.102268