Meta-Analysis of Digital Tools on Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents

A meta-analysis of 43 randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of digital tools on step count and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in healthy children and adolescents aged 6–17 years. The study, registered as PROSPERO CRD42024510602, extracted data from 18 step count and 32 MVPA observations. It found a significant increase in MVPA minutes per day but no significant overall effect on daily step count.

Use Cases

• Evaluate the effectiveness of digital tools on youth physical activity based on meta-analysis results.
• Design future interventions based on subgroup findings for tool type and delivery method.
• Assess risk of bias and publication bias in digital health studies for children.

Strengths

• Based on 43 randomized controlled trials, a rigorous study design.
• Includes sensitivity and subgroup analyses, such as by tool type and delivery device.
• Registered prospectively in PROSPERO (CRD42024510602).

Limitations

• The dataset is a 28.9 KB document; the underlying trial data is not provided.
• Column-level documentation for the extracted data is absent.
• The file format is DOCX, which may require conversion for programmatic analysis.

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Meta-analysis of existing randomized controlled trials.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04.