Sport-based youth development interventions in the United States: a systematic review

Abstract

BackgroundThe growing number of sport-based youth development interventions provide a potential avenue for integrating sport meaningfully into the U.S. public health agenda. However, efficacy and quality must be reliably established prior to widespread implementation.MethodsA comprehensive search of databases, peer-reviewed journals, published reviews, and both published and unpublished documents yielded 10,077 distinct records. Title and abstract screening, followed by full-text screening using 6 criteria, resulted in 56 distinct studies (coalescing into 10 sport-based youth development intervention types) included in the synthesis. These studies were then independently assessed and critically appraised.ResultsLimited efficacy data were identified, with the quality of methods and evidence largely classified as weak. Processes likely to contribute to the outcomes of sport-based youth development interventions were identified (e.g., predictors of ongoing engagement, alignment between target population and intervention, intervention design), although more rigorous research is needed on these and other processes. Physical health outcomes were only studied in 3 of the 10 intervention types.ConclusionsThe evidence base does not yet warrant wide-scale implementation of sport-based youth development interventions for public health goals within the U. S., although there is promising research that identifies areas for further exploration.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-6387-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Increasing physical literacy in youth: A two-week Sport for Development program for children aged 6-10

“…To date, research attempting to measure PL is scarce (Edwards et al 2018) particularly in community sport and SFD settings, and the connection between SFD and health-related outcomes including PL is an under-researched phenomenon (Whitley et al 2017(Whitley et al , 2019c. In published studies measuring PL quantitatively, quality of movement has not often been assessed (Edwards et al 2018).…”

“…SFD programs focus on social inclusion and are likely to be more accessible to youth facing barriers, but PL has also not traditionally been viewed as an intended outcome of SFD. SFD interventions typically target positive youth outcomes relating to education and/or socialemotional outcomes (Schulenkorf et al 2016;Svensson and Woods 2017;Whitley et al 2017Whitley et al , 2019c. However, based on the definitions outlined above, PL may be considered as both a positive youth development outcome and a life skill that is likely to create long-term impacts for individual youth, families, and communities.…”

Preventive interventions for children in organized team sport tackling aggression: Results from the pilot evaluation of “Fairplayer.Sport”

“…In a recent general systematic review of sports-based youth development interventions in the United States, Whitley, Massey, Camiré, Boutet, and Borbee (2019) analyzed 56 independent studies. A substantial amount of the included studies showed methodological weaknesses such as simple single group pre-post or cross-sectional designs, selection biases, high attrition rates, or weak documentation of measurement instruments and implementation quality.…”

“…A substantial amount of the included studies showed methodological weaknesses such as simple single group pre-post or cross-sectional designs, selection biases, high attrition rates, or weak documentation of measurement instruments and implementation quality. Bearing these methodological constraints and variability in approaches in mind, according to Whitley et al (2019), sports-based youth development interventions might profit from several aspects that should be addressed: (a) group climate (e.g., sense of caring, trust, stability); (b) leadership (e.g., adult-youth relationships, training); (c) youth engagement (e.g., youth leadership, ability to practice life skills); and (d) activities (e.g., fun, novelty), including activities outside the intervention itself (e.g., community service, ability to practice life skills outside the pitch). The last point is of great relevance for a transfer of skills developed in the sports context to other life environments (e.g., school, community).…”

Gaelic4Girls—The Effectiveness of a 10-Week Multicomponent Community Sports-Based Physical Activity Intervention for 8 to 12-Year-Old Girls

“…Despite the widely endorsed benefits for OYS, there are a lack of effective intervention strategies to promote sustainable PA participation in female youth [ 39 ], particularly within a sporting context [ 40 ]. In the last decade, there has been a gradual increase in the number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that have evaluated the impact of PA-based interventions on young girls [ 41 , 42 , 43 ]; however, minimal evaluations of pre-adolescent girls within a community sports-based setting exist.…”