Identifying moderators of physical literacy interventions using meta-regression

Physical literacy is a unifying concept that encompasses the physical competence, knowledge and understanding, motivation and confidence for engagement in life-long physical activity. In this study, we conducted a random-effects meta-analysis with meta-regression to examine (a) whether existing interventions were effective in enhancing individual's physical literacy and physical activity engagement, and (b) which factors moderated effectiveness of the interventions. The protocol of the meta-analysis was pre-registered in PROSPERO (Ref: CRD42020213898) on November 22, 2020. Specifically, a comprehensive literature search was conducted, and studies that evaluated any controlled intervention aimed to enhance physical literacy were included. Studies using either randomized or non-randomized designs were included. Intervention effects pertaining to each physical literacy component and activity engagement were pooled using a meta-analytical approach. Using meta-regressions, we investigated if study effects were moderated by characteristics of the interventions. Of the 29 studies included in the analyses, interventions successfully increased: physical competence (k = 18, g = 0.57), knowledge and understanding (k = 13, g = 0.55), motivation and confidence (k = 12, g = 0.44), global physical literacy (k = 27, g = 0.52), and engagement in physical activity (k = 13, g = 0.14). Intervention effects were weaker in school or university settings compared to non-educational settings and a positive bias for studies with smaller samples was found. While these findings were robust, long-term effectiveness of interventions should be further examined, as most included studies only evaluated short-term effects. Systematic approaches for the design and reporting of intervention components are also needed to help researchers design effective and scalable interventions in the future.