Effects of a Multicomponent App-Based Exercise Program on Motor Skill Development in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Secondary Outcome Analysis of a Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial.
Feilong Zhu, Zhenghao Dong, Dongqing Kuang et al.
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In 30 seconds
This secondary outcome analysis of a three-arm randomized controlled trial assessed motor skills in 145 children aged 6–10 years with ADHD. Children received a 12-week multicomponent exercise program via an app, coach-led in-person sessions, or minimal intervention. Both exercise groups improved significantly across all assessed motor skill domains (all p < 0.01), while the control group showed no significant changes. Each exercise group outperformed control on all motor outcomes (all p < 0.05); no statistically significant differences were found between app-based and in-person delivery.
Key findings
- Both exercise groups improved across all motor skill domains (all p < 0.01); the minimal-intervention control group had no significant changes.
- App-based and in-person exercise groups each outperformed control on all motor outcomes (all p < 0.05).
- No statistically significant motor-outcome differences were found between app-based and coach-led exercise.
Why it matters
Motor skill deficits are common in children with ADHD, and access to face-to-face exercise services may be constrained. These results suggest that a structured app-delivered program can improve motor-test performance over 12 weeks, with outcomes not statistically distinguishable from those of in-person delivery in this trial. The findings may inform consideration of alternative ways to deliver exercise support.
What to keep in mind
This was a secondary outcome analysis, and the reported findings concern short-term motor-test performance after a 12-week program.