Impact of Physical Exercise and Home Care on Health Outcomes in Children with Disabilities: A Systematic Review

Background: Current data suggest that both children with disabilities or illness and children who are developing normally are experiencing an increase in functional performance decline due to a lack of physical activity. The purpose of the present review is to broadly identify existing evidence on the effects of physical exercise on functional performance among children with varying disabilities.

Materials and Methods: A systematic search of bibliographic databases, namely PubMed, Scopus, PEDro, and PROSPERO, was conducted using Medical Subject Heading and Health Science Descriptor terms to identify eligible studies. This review includes 2011-2023 peer-reviewed studies on children (0-18 years) with disabilities receiving exercise or home care interventions, reporting health-related outcomes. Excluded were non-English, adult, nondisability, nonintervention, or review studies without primary data. The risk of bias was assessed with Review Manager version 5.4.1. The review is registered in PROSPERO with ID CRD42025634565 and follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines.

Results: Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Physical exercise has a positive impact on body mass index (BMI), cardiometabolic health, bimanual activities, motor and cognitive functioning, balance, and coordination, while also reducing neonatal and infant mortality rates.

Conclusion: Home care and effective exercises in the pediatric population reflect their importance in improving and positively influencing various determinants in the physical and mental well-being of the pediatric population, such as BMI and motor skills. However, heterogeneity in study populations, along with limited sample sizes, makes it challenging to draw definitive conclusions or make direct comparisons across studies.