Beyond Fitness: A Community Exercise Intervention Boosts Physical and Psychological Outcomes in Vulnerable Children and Adolescents

Abstract

This study examined the impact of a community sport program on physical fitness and socio-emotional skills in socially vulnerable Portuguese adolescents. Seventy-four participants (6-17 years) took part in a once-weekly, multi-sport intervention embedded in their school context. A repeated-measures design assessed participants at baseline, mid-intervention, and post-intervention. Physical fitness was assessed using the FITescola test battery, and socio-emotional skills using the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Social and Emotional Skills Questionnaire. Linear mixed models revealed significant improvements in core muscular endurance (abdominal curls, p = 0.028, d = 0.32) and running speed (p = 0.001, d = 0.42). Socio-emotional gains were observed in resilience (p = 0.017), stress resistance (p = 0.008), confidence (p < 0.001), and empathy (p = 0.025), with small-to-moderate effect sizes. These findings suggest that a low-frequency, long-term community program nested in participants' educational ecology can promote both physical and psychological health in this population. Despite limitations – including a quasi-experimental design and once-weekly frequency – this study offers preliminary evidence for settings-based interventions to reduce health inequities. Future randomised controlled trials should establish causality and explore underlying mechanisms.