Physical Activity for Anxiety for Autistic People: A Systematic Review.
Kathryn Riis, Brittany Samulski, Kristina A Neely and 1 others
PMID 38755488WHAT IT FOUND
Physical activity interventions show mixed results for anxiety in autistic people.
While some studies found reductions in anxiety symptoms, others showed no significant difference compared to control groups. Evidence is limited by small sample sizes and varied measurement methods.
Key findings
01Community organized football programs and yoga programs showed strong evidence for reducing anxiety in autistic children.
02General physical activity programs and horseback riding interventions showed moderate evidence for reducing anxiety, but results were inconsistent across studies.
03App-assisted walking interventions did not significantly reduce anxiety scores in autistic adults.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Only eight studies were included, resulting in a small total sample size of 304 participants. Six of the eight studies included only participants aged 18 and below, limiting applicability to adults. Anxiety measurement methods varied significantly across studies, including different scales and reporters (self, parent, teacher, investigator). Demographic information, such as race and ethnicity, was not consistently reported, limiting understanding of the results' applicability to diverse populations. The review included studies with varying levels of evidence, from randomized controlled trials to single-group pretest-posttest designs. The protocol for this systematic review was not registered.
Declared interests
The paper does not report any conflicts of interest or funding sources for the authors or the study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume all physical activity interventions reduce anxiety. The review found that one study showed a sedentary control group had larger improvements on some anxiety measures than the physical activity group, and another study found no significant anxiety reduction from app-assisted walking.