How effective are physical activity interventions in improving physical self-concept among children and adolescents? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Physical self-concept is a key indicator of physical and psychological development in children and adolescents and has been linked to participation in physical activity and overall wellbeing. Nevertheless, intervention studies examining whether structured physical activity enhances physical self-concept have yielded inconsistent findings. This review was undertaken to quantify the effectiveness of physical activity interventions and to examine factors that may influence their effects. Relevant studies were identified through systematic searches of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and SPORTDiscus (via EBSCOhost) from database inception to June 10, 2026. Eligible intervention studies were quantitatively synthesized using standardized mean differences (Hedges' g) under a random-effects model. Prespecified subgroup analyses, meta-regression, leave-one-out sensitivity analyses, and publication bias assessments were also performed. Ten studies involving 3,662 participants contributed to the quantitative synthesis. Overall, structured physical activity interventions were associated with greater improvements in physical self-concept than control conditions (Hedges' g = 0.51, 95% CI 0.17–0.85; p = 0.008), although substantial between-study heterogeneity was observed (I 2 = 86.5%). No statistically significant differences in intervention effects were detected across geographical regions, participant types, or developmental stages. Neither intervention duration nor the proportion of female participants significantly explained between-study variability. Structured physical activity interventions are associated with improvements in physical self-concept among children and adolescents. These findings suggest that structured physical activity may be a useful strategy for promoting positive physical self-concept during childhood and adolescence.