Objective: The objective of the review is to synthesize existing knowledge about experiences of children and
adolescents with asthma related to participation in, or limitation of, physical activity.
Introduction: Limitations of physical activity, expressed as a barrier of bodily movement, may relate to physiological
restraints, as well as emotional and social delimitation, in children and adolescents with asthma. Participation in
physical activity is related to management of asthma and is also important for social inclusion. Through childhood
and adolescence, physical activity enhances physical, cognitive, and social development, and a dose-response
relationship between physical activity and several indicators of improved health is established. Knowledge is needed
about experiences of physical activity in children and adolescents with asthma to inform tailored care and
implementation of exercise and physical activity supporting interventions into clinical practice.
Inclusion criteria: This review will consider qualitative studies that include subjective experiences related to
participation in, or limitation of, physical activity in children and adolescents with asthma through childhood and
adolescence (six to 18 years), in English-language studies from all countries.
Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, SocINDEX, and Social Science Citation Index List will
be searched for relevant studies. Study selection, assessment of methodological quality, data extraction, synthesis,
and assessment of certainty of findings will be conducted using the JBI meta-aggregation approach.
Systematic review registration number: The systematic review is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020164797).
Keywords asthma; developmental transition; exercise limitation; participation in physical activity; qualitative
research synthesis