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Meta-Analysis
. 2021 Apr 21;19(1):127.
doi: 10.1186/s12955-021-01766-0.

Relationship between both cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness and health-related quality of life in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Alberto Bermejo-Cantarero  1 , Celia Álvarez-Bueno  2   3 , Vicente Martínez-Vizcaino  1   4 , Andrés Redondo-Tébar  1 , Diana P Pozuelo-Carrascosa  1 , Mairena Sánchez-López  1   5
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Relationship between both cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness and health-related quality of life in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Alberto Bermejo-Cantarero et al. Health Qual Life Outcomes. .

Abstract

Background: No review to date has evaluated the association between physical fitness and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in healthy children and adolescents. The aims of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to examine the relationship between both cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscular fitness (MF) and HRQoL in healthy subjects under 18 years of age and to describe the dimensions of HRQoL in which these relationships are more robust.

Methods: The Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, SCIELO, SPORTDiscus and PEDro databases were systematically searched to collect observational studies that examined the relationship between CRF and HRQoL and between MF and HRQoL in participants under 18 years of age without any diagnosed medical condition. Pooled effect sizes (ES) were estimated for the associations between both CRF and MF and the various HRQoL dimensions.

Results: The pooled ES (95% CI) estimates for the relationship between CRF and HRQoL were as follows: 0.19 (0.10 to 0.27) for physical well-being, 0.19 (0.07 to 0.32) for psychological well-being, 0.20 (- 0.14 to 0.55) for perceived health status, 0.10 (0.00 to 0.20) for self-perception/self-esteem, 0.07 (- 0.05 to 0.19) for quality of family relationship, 0.14 (0.04 to 0.25) for quality of peer relationship, 0.17 (0.04 to 0.29) for everyday functioning at school and 0.20 (0.12 to 0.28) for total HRQoL score. The pooled ES (95% CI) estimates for the relationship between MF and HRQoL were: 0.25 (0.12 to 0.37) for physical well-being, 0.11 (0.04 to 0.17) for psychological well-being, 0.08 (0.01 to 0.15) for quality of family relationship, 0.14 (0.03 to 0.25) for quality of peer relationship, and 0.09 (0.03 to 0.14) for total HRQoL score.

Conclusions: Our data suggest that both CRF and MF are positively associated with HRQoL, mainly in physical, psychological and peer relationships. Moreover, CRF is positively associated with school dimensions and MF is positively associated with family relationships. Trail registration Protocol PROSPERO registration number: CRD42015025823.

Keywords: Adolescents; Children; HRQoL; Health-related quality of life; Meta-analysis; Physical fitness; Physical well-being; Psychological well-being; Strength.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA Flow chart with the progress through the stages of study selection
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Pooled estimated effect size values of associations between CRF and physical well-being, psychological well-being, perceived health status, and self-perception/self-esteem
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Pooled estimated effect size values of associations between CRF and quality of family relationship, quality of peer relationship, everyday functioning at school, and total HRQoL score
Fig.  4
Fig.  4
ES values of association between CRF and life satisfaction / social acceptance
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Pooled estimated effect size values of associations between MF and physical well-being, psychological well-being, quality of family relationship, quality of peer relationship, and total HRQoL score
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
ES values of association between MF and everyday functioning at school, self-perception/self-esteem, and social acceptance
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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