Effects of school-based physical activity on academic achievement in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

作者：Haiping He, Yang Yahui, Jiaojiao Sun, Fang Wang, Wei Zhang, Fengshu Zhu · 发表于：Frontiers in Public Health · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3389/fpubh.2025.1651883 · 被引用次数：10 · 研究领域：Children's Physical and Motor Development、Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet、Physical Education and Pedagogy

Objective This study explores how school-based physical activity affects the academic achievement of children and adolescents and examines whether factors like activity type or duration influence results. Method We registered the review in PROSPERO (CRD42024623670). We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Embase databases for peer-reviewed English-language randomized or quasi-experimental studies published through 8 December 2024. Reference lists and gray literature were reviewed. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool assessed study quality, with findings analyzed through subgroup and sensitivity analysis. Review Manager 5.4 calculated the standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) using a random-effects model. Results Seventeen studies met inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis indicated physical activity programs significantly improved academic achievement, especially in mathematics (SMD = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.04–0.18, p = 0.001; I 2 = 55%) and overall academic achievement (SMD = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.01–0.44, p = 0.040; I 2 = 74%). Subgroup analysis revealed moderate-intensity activity positively correlated with mathematics (SMD = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.01–0.15, p = 0.040; I 2 = 37%) and overall academic achievement (SMD = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.14–0.57, p = 0.001; I 2 = 70%) results. High-intensity activity showed a positive effect on mathematics (SMD = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.14–0.68, p = 0.003; I 2 = 6%). Short-duration (<24 weeks) interventions positively impacted ...