Table 2 Subgroup meta-analytic results of the effects for exergaming on executive functions (2010–2023)

Age

4–6 years

3

140

0.47

0.14, 0.81

0%

< 0.01

< 0.01

1

48

1.02

0.41, 1.62

 N/A

N/A

< 0.01

1

48

0.79

0.20, 1.38

 N/A

N/A

< 0.01

> 6 years

8

368

0.29

0.09, 0.50

0%

< 0.01

< 0.01

6

283

0.48

0.23, 0.74

10%

0.01

< 0.01

4

227

0.16

-0.10, 0.42

0%

< 0.01

0.23

Disorder status

Normal

5

264

0.27

0.02, 0.51

0%

< 0.01

0.03

2

124

0.63

-0.05, 1.32

70%

0.17

0.07

2

124

0.44

-0.19, 1.07

66%

0.14

0.17

Special

6

244

0.42

0.17, 0.68

0%

< 0.01

< 0.01

5

207

0.55

0.24, 0.86

18%

0.02

< 0.01

3

151

0.16

-0.16, 0.48

0%

< 0.01

0.31

Exercise intensity

Moderate

6

287

0.38

0.14, 0.63

7%

0.01

< 0.01

4

179

0.77

0.35, 1.19

44%

0.08

< 0.01

3

155

0.35

-0.08, 0.79

45%

0.07

0.11

Medium-high

5

221

0.29

0.03, 0.56

0%

< 0.01

0.03

3

152

0.36

0.03, 0.68

0%

< 0.01

0.03

2

120

0.15

-0.20, 0.51

0%

< 0.01

0.40

Intervention duration

15–20 min

3

130

0.56

0.12, 1.00

31%

0.05

< 0.01

2

70

0.88

-0.20, 1.96

75%

0.46

0.11

1

46

0.00

-0.58, 0.58

 N/A

N/A

1.00

20–30 min

3

133

0.30

-0.04, 0.64

0%

< 0.01

0.09

1

48

1.02

0.41, 1.62

 N/A

N/A

< 0.01

1

48

0.79

0.20, 1.38

 N/A

N/A

< 0.01

> 30 min

5

245

0.27

0.02, 0.52

0%

< 0.01

0.04

4

213

0.41

0.14, 0.68

0%

< 0.01

< 0.01

3

181

0.20

-0.09, 0.49

0%

< 0.01

0.18

Intervention cycle

≤ 1 week

2

122

0.18

-0.18, 0.54

0%

< 0.01

0.33

2

122

0.34

-0.02, 0.70

0%

< 0.01

0.06

2

44

0.09

-0.27, 0.45

0%

< 0.01

0.62

2–6 weeks

3

133

0.56

0.09, 1.02

39%

0.07

0.02

3

133

0.92

0.42, 1.41

43%

0.08

< 0.01

2

109

0.52

0.02, 1.01

39%

0.05

0.04

> 6 weeks

6

253

0.34

0.09, 0.58

0%

< 0.01

< 0.01

2

76

0.40

-0.06, 0.85

0%

< 0.01

0.09

1

151

0.17

-0.42, 0.76

 N/A

N/A

0.57