Meta-analysis: Physical Activity and Cognitive Functioning of Children: Does Physical Activity Improve the Working Memory of Children?

Existing literature suggests that physical activity positively influences children's cognitive abilities, particularly working memory. This meta-analysis replicates and expands upon the findings of Vasilopoulos et al. (2023) regarding the effects of physical activity on working memory, incorporating eleven studies: nine from the original analysis and two additional studies (Zhang et al., 2022; Dring et al., 2022). These additional studies were included based on criteria that they were published within the past decade and specifically examined the relationship between physical activity and working memory in children. To address variations in working memory measures across studies, a standardized mean difference was applied to calculate effect sizes, with Hedges's g used to account for sample bias. The results provide significant evidence that physical activity positively impacts children's working memory. However, observed heterogeneity highlights the need for future research to standardize measurement tools for both physical activity and working memory in order to improve reliability.