Adolescents with motor disabilities may encounter physical, social, and attitudinal barriers that limit their participation in physical activity and may affect their social-emotional development. This review aimed to analyze the scientific evidence on the relationship between physical activity and the social-emotional development of adolescents with motor disabilities. A PRISMA-based systematic review was conducted in the PubMed/MEDLINE, SciELO, Dialnet, Redalyc, Latindex, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases from 2020 to 2025, in Spanish and English. A total of 91 search results were obtained, and 15 articles that met the selection criteria were included. Studies on cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and other physical and motor disabilities using qualitative, observational, intervention, and review designs identified associations or changes in the dimensions of participation, social inclusion, psychological well-being, self-efficacy, quality of life, stress, anxiety, and socio-emotional skills. Causal evidence was limited by small sample sizes, methodological heterogeneity, and, in some cases, the publication of data from the same cohort of adolescents. Regarding adapted physical activity, greater participation and well-being were observed when conditions such as accessibility, social support, and adaptation to individual characteristics were present.
Adolescents with motor disabilities may encounter physical, social, and attitudinal barriers that limit their participation in physical activity and may affect their social-emotional development. This review aimed to analyze the scientific evidence on the relationship between physical activity and the social-emotional development of adolescents with motor disabilities. A PRISMA-based systematic review was conducted in the PubMed/MEDLINE, SciELO, Dialnet, Redalyc, Latindex, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases from 2020 to 2025, in Spanish and English. A total of 91 search results were obtained, and 15 articles that met the selection criteria were included. Studies on cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and other physical and motor disabilities using qualitative, observational, intervention, and review designs identified associations or changes in the dimensions of participation, social inclusion, psychological well-being, self-efficacy, quality of life, stress, anxiety, and socio-emotional skills. Causal evidence was limited by small sample sizes, methodological heterogeneity, and, in some cases, the publication of data from the same cohort of adolescents. Regarding adapted physical activity, greater participation and well-being were observed when conditions such as accessibility, social support, and adaptation to individual characteristics were present. Read More