Effects of after-school and out-of-school-time interventions on fundamental movement skills in school-aged children: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of after-school and out-of-school-time interventions on fundamental movement skills (FMS) and related motor competence outcomes in school-aged children. Three electronic databases, PubMed, the Web of Science platform, and Scopus, were systematically searched. Study selection was guided by predefined eligibility criteria based on the PICOS framework. Eligible studies included intervention studies conducted in after-school, out-of-school-time, extracurricular, or similar settings, with outcomes related to FMS, motor competence, locomotor skills, object-control skills, or other motor skill performance measures. Methodological quality was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Quasi-Experimental Studies. Where data were compatible, post-intervention continuous motor skill outcomes were synthesized using standardized mean differences (SMDs) with a random-effects model. A total of 268 records were identified, and seven studies were included in the systematic review. Of these, four studies were included in the main meta-analysis. The pooled result showed a statistically significant positive effect of afterschool or out-of-school-time interventions on children’s post-intervention motor skill outcomes (SMD = 0.58, 95% CI 0.05 to 1.11, Z = 2.15, p = 0.03). Moderate heterogeneity was observed (I² = 56%). Skill-specific findings from Foweather et al. (2008) indicated significant improvements in balance proficiency and kick proficiency, while other skill outcomes did not reach statistical significance. Narrative findings suggested that implementation quality, program leader training, equipment availability, and intervention structure may influence intervention effectiveness. Overall, after-school and out-of-school-time interventions may have positive effects on selected FMS and motor competence outcomes in school-aged children. However, the evidence remains preliminary due to the limited number of studies, small samples, methodological concerns, and heterogeneity in intervention content and outcome measurement. Future high-quality randomized or clusterrandomized trials with standardized measurement tools and follow-up assessments are needed.