Author(s): SCHAERZ, S., Institution: LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE, Country: CANADA, Abstract-ID: 563

INTRODUCTION:
From planning to regulating emotions to problem-solving, executive functions are important for a wide range of activities [1]. They are crucial for children’s success in school, particularly in subjects like math and language [2]. An expanding body of evidence suggests that the development of executive functions in healthy children is associated with regular engagement in physical activity [3]. However, there is a noticeable gap in research that seeks to untangle this link within the broader context of human development [4]. The purpose of this narrative review is to advocate for an expanded perspective on understanding how physical activity contributes to the development of executive functions in healthy children, urging for the exploration of physical activity as a developmental process within the context of a complex and ever-evolving bioecological system.
METHODS:
Database searches (i.e., ERIC, SPORTDiscus, PubMed, MEDLINE) were conducted to gather theoretical and empirical literature pertaining to the effects of physical activity on healthy childrens executive functions. Evidence was organized based on the domains of the bioecological model (i.e., person, process, context, time) [5]. Bioecologically-oriented hypotheses were then generated for the purpose of further empirical testing.
RESULTS:
Analysis of the literature yielded the following hypotheses: (I) The developmental impact of physical activity on executive functions varies based on quantity and quality. Optimal benefits are achieved through frequent, prolonged engagement in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity, encompassing a range of complex motor skills that increase in complexity over time. (II) The quantity and quality of physical activity is largely a function of a child’s physical literacy and gender. Physical activity quantity and quality are further impacted by contextual factors including peer and parental support, school and competitive sporting environments, as well as socioeconomic status. (III) Temporal factors such as the child’s chronological age and long-term persistence of developmentally disruptive events, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic, further affect the quantity and quality of physical activity.
CONCLUSION:
The developmental impact of physical activity on executive functions emerges from the dynamic interplay between the developing child and the context and time in which the child is situated. This narrative review advocates for increased emphasis on bioecologically-oriented research aligned with the hypotheses herein presented.
REFERENCES:
[1] Diamond, Annu. Rev. Psychol., 2013.
[2] Cortés Pascual et al., Front. Psychol., 2019.
[3] Haverkamp et al., J. Sports Sci., 2020.
[4] Shi et al., Brain Sci., 2022.
[5] Bronfenbrenner & Morris, Handbook of Child Psychology, 2006.