Author(s): ZHOU, J.W.1, HU, Q.L.1, LIU, C.2, Institution: SHAOGUAN UNIVERSITY, Country: CHINA, Abstract-ID: 1242

INTRODUCTION:
Mental health forms the foundation of childhood development, yet psychological issues among children worldwide are increasingly prevalent. The World Health Organization recommends that children and adolescents engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily, but most children fail to meet this standard.Therefore, exploring effective measures to promote children's physical activity and improve their overall health has become a key focus of current research. Small-sided soccer games（SSGs）, as a team-based physical activity, has been shown to improve children's physical fitness. However, empirical research on its impact on mental health remains limited. This study hypothesizes that regular participation in SSGs positively influences children's mental health by enhancing executive function, strengths and difficulties.
METHODS:
A pre- and post-test quasi-experimental design was employed, with 60 children aged 10–11 randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group received a 16-week intervention consisting of three 40-minute sessions per week of SSGs (3v3 to 7v7), while the control group maintained routine physical education classes. Changes in mental health were assessed before and after the intervention using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Teacher Version) and executive function tasks.
RESULTS:
1) The experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in Go/No-Go task accuracy (P<0.001, d=1.12) and reaction time (P<0.05, d=-0.37), 2-b task accuracy (P<0.05, d=0.50) and reaction time (P<0.05, d=-0.46), More-Odd shifting task accuracy (P<0.05, d=0.45) and reaction time (P<0.001, d=-1.04), emotional symptom scores (P=0.001, d=-0.65), peer interaction problem scores (P=0.007, d=-0.53), total problem behavior scores (P<0.05, d =-0.41), and prosocial behavior scores (P<0.001, d = 1.50) were significantly higher at post-test than at pre-test. 2) The experimental group showed significantly higher post-test scores than pre-test scores compared to the control group in: Go/No-Go task accuracy (P<0.05, d=0.66) and reaction time (P<0.05, d=-0.58), 2-b task accuracy (P<0.05, d=0.67), More-odd shifting task accuracy (P<0.05, d=0.56), and reaction time (P<0.05, d=-0.58). More-odd shifting task accuracy (P<0.05, d=0.56) and reaction time (P<0.05, d=-0.64), emotional symptom scores (P=0.008, d=-0.70), peer interaction problem scores (P<0.001, d=-1.12), total problem behavior scores (P<0.05, d =-0.67), and prosocial behavior scores (P<0.05, d=0.63).
CONCLUSION:
SSGs significantly promote children's mental health by: 1) enhancing executive function; 2) reducing emotional symptoms, peer relationship difficulties, and challenging behaviors; 3) fostering prosocial behaviors. Therefore, SSGs serve as an effective intervention strategy to improve school-aged children's mental health. Future research should explore its long-term benefits and applicability across diverse child populations.