TY - JOUR
T1 - School ACTIVE, brain active
T2 - A meta-analysis and meta-regression on chronic school physical activity effects on cognitive performance in children and adolescents
AU - Mello, Júlio B.
AU - Costa, Rochelle Rocha
AU - da Silva, Fernando Flores
AU - Martins, Ricardo
AU - Cristi-Montero, Carlos
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2025/2
Y1 - 2025/2
N2 - Objective: To describe the chronic physical activity at school effects on children and adolescents' cognitive performance, examining different types of intervention in the school environment. Design: A systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression was conducted including experimental studies reporting the effects of physical activity at school on cognitive performance in children and adolescents. Data sources: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library from database inception to February 30, 2023. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies: Studies with: (P) healthy children and adolescents, (I) interventions with physical activity at school (sports, general physical activity, and physical exercises), (C) a control group, (O) cognitive flexibility, working memory, inhibitory control, and attention outcomes; and (S) Randomised trials of RCTs and longitudinal designs. Results: Eighteen studies were included. The interventions were divided into three groups: different team games, general physical activity, and different physical exercises. Physical activity at school was associated with changes in cognitive flexibility (g: 0.244; 95% CI 0.116 to 0.373; p < 0.001; I2 = 0%); in working memory (g: 0.123; 95% CI 0.028 to 0.219; p = 0.012; I2 = 14%); in inhibitory control (g: 0.122; 95% CI 0.062 to 0.182; p < 0.001; I2 = 3%); and in attention (g: 0.100; 95% CI 0.040 to 0.161; p < 0.001; I2 = 0%). Conclusion: Our results support that interventions with chronic physical activity at school have a positive effect on cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, working memory, and attention in children and adolescents. Subgroup analyses established that the impact on each outcome essentially depends on the type of intervention performed. Meta-regression showed that age was a valid predictor of improvements in working memory. Prospero registration: CRD42021274668.
AB - Objective: To describe the chronic physical activity at school effects on children and adolescents' cognitive performance, examining different types of intervention in the school environment. Design: A systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression was conducted including experimental studies reporting the effects of physical activity at school on cognitive performance in children and adolescents. Data sources: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library from database inception to February 30, 2023. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies: Studies with: (P) healthy children and adolescents, (I) interventions with physical activity at school (sports, general physical activity, and physical exercises), (C) a control group, (O) cognitive flexibility, working memory, inhibitory control, and attention outcomes; and (S) Randomised trials of RCTs and longitudinal designs. Results: Eighteen studies were included. The interventions were divided into three groups: different team games, general physical activity, and different physical exercises. Physical activity at school was associated with changes in cognitive flexibility (g: 0.244; 95% CI 0.116 to 0.373; p < 0.001; I2 = 0%); in working memory (g: 0.123; 95% CI 0.028 to 0.219; p = 0.012; I2 = 14%); in inhibitory control (g: 0.122; 95% CI 0.062 to 0.182; p < 0.001; I2 = 3%); and in attention (g: 0.100; 95% CI 0.040 to 0.161; p < 0.001; I2 = 0%). Conclusion: Our results support that interventions with chronic physical activity at school have a positive effect on cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, working memory, and attention in children and adolescents. Subgroup analyses established that the impact on each outcome essentially depends on the type of intervention performed. Meta-regression showed that age was a valid predictor of improvements in working memory. Prospero registration: CRD42021274668.
KW - Cognition
KW - Executive function
KW - Health promotion
KW - Motor activity
KW - Public health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85211693952&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.edurev.2024.100658
DO - 10.1016/j.edurev.2024.100658
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85211693952
SN - 1747-938X
VL - 46
JO - Educational Research Review
JF - Educational Research Review
M1 - 100658
ER -
