Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41827647›Full record

ArticleHealthcare (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Physical Literacy-Focused Education Improves Fitness Markers in Preadolescents: Implications for School-Based Health Promotion.

Petra Rajkovic Vuletic, Tomislav Pranjic, Barbara Gilic Skugor, Blaž Lešnik, Damir Sekulic, Dorica Šajber

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Petra Rajkovic VuleticFaculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia.ORCID 0009-0008-1726-8704
Tomislav PranjicFaculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia.ORCID 0009-0002-2418-3027
Barbara Gilic SkugorFaculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia.ORCID 0000-0002-8868-7315
Blaž LešnikFaculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, 10000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.ORCID 0000-0002-0006-0092
Damir SekulicFaculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia.ORCID 0000-0001-8022-7886
Dorica ŠajberFaculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, 10000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Funding

Croatian Science Foundation UIP-2025-02-3974
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesPhysical literacy (PL) is globally recognized as a foundational determinant of health status in children, but the effects of interventions based on PL were rarely studied in preadolescent children. The aim of this quasi-experimental, school-based study was to evaluate the potential effects of a PL intervention delivered during regular school hours on physical fitness (PF), physical literacy (PL), and physical activity (PA) in children aged 9 to 11 years from southern Croatia.

methodsParticipants were 125 preadolescents (57 girls), and were grouped into a control group (C = 70), and an experimental group (E, n = 55). The E group participated in a specific PL-focused education, integrated into regular physical education (PE) lessons as a 5-6 min substitute for standard PE content, over 12 weeks (36 PE classes in total). The C group participated in the standard PE curriculum. A pre-post-retention design was used, and the observed variables included anthropometrics (height, weight, BMI), PF (jumping power, abdominal strength, upper body strength, flexibility, mobility, and cardiovascular endurance), PL (evaluated by the PLAYself questionnaire), and indirectly measured PA (estimated via the PAQ-C questionnaire). Multivariate (MANOVA and univariate (ANOVA) analyses of variance for repeated measurements were used with time, gender, and group as the main effects, including their interactions.

resultsMANOVA calculated for a set of PF variables revealed significant main effects for time (F = 1361,

conclusionsThe study demonstrated small, but statistically significant, improvements in PF indicators among children exposed to the PL-based intervention. Notably, the intervention was conducted in authentic school settings using standard resources, supporting the ecological validity and real-world applicability of the findings.

Indexed as

health promotionmotor activitypediatricsquasi-experimental studies

Identifiers

PMID41827647
PMCPMC12984826

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.