School ACTIVE, brain active: A meta-analysis and meta-regression on chronic school physical activity effects on cognitive performance in children and adolescents

IF 9.6 1区教育学 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Educational Research Review Pub Date : 2025-02-01 DOI:10.1016/j.edurev.2024.100658

Júlio B. Mello , Rochelle Rocha Costa , Fernando Flores da Silva , Ricardo Martins , Carlos Cristi-Montero

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

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.

查看原文本刊更多论文

学校活动、脑活动：长期学校体育活动对儿童和青少年认知表现影响的meta分析和meta回归

探讨学校环境中不同类型的干预对儿童和青少年认知表现的影响，描述学校长期体育活动对儿童和青少年认知表现的影响。

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来源期刊

Educational Research Review EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH-

CiteScore

19.40

自引率

0.90%

发文量

审稿时长

57 days

期刊介绍： Educational Research Review is an international journal catering to researchers and diverse agencies keen on reviewing studies and theoretical papers in education at any level. The journal welcomes high-quality articles that address educational research problems through a review approach, encompassing thematic or methodological reviews and meta-analyses. With an inclusive scope, the journal does not limit itself to any specific age range and invites articles across various settings where learning and education take place, such as schools, corporate training, and both formal and informal educational environments.