Understanding the Characteristics of Community Youth Sports Programs Interventions: A Systematic Review and Recommendations

Sport has never been a more appreciated tool than at present, particularly when dealing with development at various levels of society, be it communities, gender issues, or factors affecting youth. The objective of this systematic review was to determine the level of empirical evidence on the impact of sport based interventions on human development. A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) approach was utilized to conduct a systematic literature search of selected databases with a search range of 2010 to 2021. Findings indicate an increase in the number of studies on the subject, continent, research design, and journal publication. Content analysis revealed the sample characteristics; objectives and content used in the programs; methodology and intervention strategies; and program limitations. Future research should extend the search to other databases, languages, and subjects related sustainability of community interventions.

Automated summary

Sport is increasingly recognized as a valuable tool for development in various aspects of society. This systematic review examines the empirical evidence of the impact of sport-based interventions on human development. The study found an increasing number of research studies on the subject, as well as a diverse range of locations and methodologies. The analysis of the studies revealed important information about sample characteristics, program objectives, methodology, and limitations. Future research should explore additional databases, languages, and sustainability of community interventions.