Table 2.
Characteristics of the Observational Studies in the Non-Medication Category: Behavioral Outcome Domain.
| Source | n | Study Duration | Age Range (M ± SD) | ADHD Diagnosis | PA Measures/Days Monitored | IV | Outcome Measures | Medication Effect | Key Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||||||||
| Barnard-Brak, Davis, Sulak, and Brak (201 1) | 17,565 | 1 year | 5–7 | Inconclusive | PE times/week and time/ day spent in PE | PE | Symptoms of ADHD | No | PE in Spring 1999 sig. predicts ADHD symptoms in Spring 2000 |
| Dane, Schachar, and Tannock (2000) | 64 (M = 49, F = 15) | 1 day | 7–12 (9.2 ± 1.4) | Yes | ActiGraph/l day | PA | Symptoms of ADHD | No | Sig. positive association between afternoon activity, and inattention symptoms and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms |
| Ebenegger et al. (2012) | 450 (M = 215, F = 235) | Unspecified total study duration | 4–6 (5.2 ± 0.6) | Inconclusive | ActiGraph/5 days | PA | Degree of hyperactivity and inattentiveness | Sig. positive association between PA and hyperactivity/ inattention; total count, moderate-vigorous activity, and vigorous activity | |
| Khalife et al. (2014) a | At 7–8 years (8,106) At 16 years (6,934) | Not specified | 7–16 | Inconclusive | At 7–8 years: Preference for physically active play At 16 years: Hours of participating in PA outside of the school |
ADHD symptoms Rutter B2 PA at 8 yrs |
PA at 16 years ADHD symptoms at 16 yrs |
No | Sig. longitudinal associations of inattention-hyperactivity symptoms and physical activity/ inactivity Sig. longitudinal associations of physically active play and inattention symptoms |
| Kiluk, Weden, and Culotta (2009) | 97 | Not specified | 6–14 | Yes | Number of sports participation by a parent | Sports participation | Behaviors: CBCL | No | Sig. negative associations between sports participation and behaviors: A/D, IP, and AP Sig. differences on A/D between groups who played 0 to 2 sports and those who plays 3 or more sports |
Note. ADHD = attention-deficit/h/peractivity disorder; PA = physical activity; IV = independent variable; PE = physical education; M = male; F = female; Sig. = significant; CBCL = Child Behavior Checklist; A/D = anxious depressed; IP = internalizing problems; AP = affective problems,