

We refrained from calculation of summary scores. Study appraisal and synthesis methods: We used guidelines from the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews of Interventions and a modified version of the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale overall to assess the quality of the included studies. Study eligibility criteria: Observational studies comparing objectively measured PA between single-parent children and children from two-parent families.


Methodsĭata sources: The databases, Social Science Citation Index, PsycINFO, PubMed, and EBSCO were searched (1987–2013). We restricted our analysis to studies with objective measurements of PA. Objectives: To investigate if the level of PA among children living with a single parent was lower compared to children living with two parents by means of a meta-analysis of published and unpublished studies. Prevailing evidence of the importance of two-parent family status as a resource for children’s PA is based on a mix of subjective and objective measurements of PA. Single-parent family status has been investigated as a possible psychosocial determinant of children’s level of physical activity (PA)-although with mixed and inconclusive results.
