Effectiveness of school-based active breaks on classroom behavior, executive functions and physical fitness in children and adolescent: a systematic review
IntroductionThe classroom environment is ideal for promoting physical activity interventions since children spend most of their day there but often engage in sedentary behavior. Given this context, an emerging trend to promote physical activity is active breaks at school. This systematic review eval...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1469998/full |
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| author | Tomás Reyes-Amigo Gabriel Salinas-Gallardo Edgardo Mendoza Camilo Ovalle-Fernández Jessica Ibarra-Mora Nicolás Gómez-Álvarez Hernaldo Carrasco-Beltrán Jacqueline Páez-Herrera Juan Hurtado-Almonácid Rodrigo Yañez-Sepúlveda Rafael Zapata-Lamana Rafael Zapata-Lamana Felipe Sepúlveda-Figueroa Jorge Olivares-Arancibia Jorge Mota |
| author_facet | Tomás Reyes-Amigo Gabriel Salinas-Gallardo Edgardo Mendoza Camilo Ovalle-Fernández Jessica Ibarra-Mora Nicolás Gómez-Álvarez Hernaldo Carrasco-Beltrán Jacqueline Páez-Herrera Juan Hurtado-Almonácid Rodrigo Yañez-Sepúlveda Rafael Zapata-Lamana Rafael Zapata-Lamana Felipe Sepúlveda-Figueroa Jorge Olivares-Arancibia Jorge Mota |
| author_sort | Tomás Reyes-Amigo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe classroom environment is ideal for promoting physical activity interventions since children spend most of their day there but often engage in sedentary behavior. Given this context, an emerging trend to promote physical activity is active breaks at school. This systematic review evaluated the effects of school-based physical activity interventions involving active breaks on children and adolescents’ classroom behavior, executive functions, and physical fitness.MethodsThis review was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCOhost. Studies published between January 2010 and August 31, 2023, including participants aged 5 to 18, were included. Interventions involving active breaks and outcomes related to classroom behavior, executive functions, and physical fitness were considered.ResultsInitially, 145 studies were identified, with 22 duplicates excluded. After screening 123 articles by title and abstract, 86 were excluded. Subsequently, 37 articles underwent full-text screening, resulting in 22 included studies. Six studies showed positive effects on classroom behavior; five studies showed improvements in executive functions, and only two studies indicated increases in physical fitness.DiscussionThis review suggests incorporating active breaks during school hours can improve classroom behavior in children and adolescents. However, the effects of active breaks on executive functions and physical fitness are unclear. More research is needed to fully understand the benefits of implementing active break programs in the classroom.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO, CRD42023448267, available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023448267. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8901a918b91644e8b720e9cf5d6fb2d8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-8901a918b91644e8b720e9cf5d6fb2d82025-01-30T14:02:53ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-01-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.14699981469998Effectiveness of school-based active breaks on classroom behavior, executive functions and physical fitness in children and adolescent: a systematic reviewTomás Reyes-Amigo0Gabriel Salinas-Gallardo1Edgardo Mendoza2Camilo Ovalle-Fernández3Jessica Ibarra-Mora4Nicolás Gómez-Álvarez5Hernaldo Carrasco-Beltrán6Jacqueline Páez-Herrera7Juan Hurtado-Almonácid8Rodrigo Yañez-Sepúlveda9Rafael Zapata-Lamana10Rafael Zapata-Lamana11Felipe Sepúlveda-Figueroa12Jorge Olivares-Arancibia13Jorge Mota14Physical Activity Sciences Observatory (OCAF), Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, ChilePhysical Activity Sciences Observatory (OCAF), Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, ChilePhysical Activity Sciences Observatory (OCAF), Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, ChilePhysical Activity Sciences Observatory (OCAF), Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, ChilePhysical Education, Universidad Metropolitana de las Ciencias de la Educación, Ñuñoa, ChilePhysical Activity, Health and Education Research Group (AFSYE), Physical Education Pedagogy, Universidad Adventista De Chile, Chillán, ChilePhysical Activity Sciences Observatory (OCAF), Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, ChilePhysical Education School, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, ChilePhysical Education School, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, ChileFaculty of Education and Social Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Viña del Mar, ChileSchool of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health, Universidad Santo Tomás, Los Ángeles, ChileSchool Education, University of Concepción, Los Ángeles, ChilePhysical Activity Sciences Observatory (OCAF), Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, ChileGrupo AFySE, Investigación en Actividad Física y Salud Escolar, Escuela de Pedagogía en Educación Física, Facultad de Educación, Universidad de las Américas, Santiago, ChileResearch Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure, Faculty of Sports, Universidade do Porto, Porto, PortugalIntroductionThe classroom environment is ideal for promoting physical activity interventions since children spend most of their day there but often engage in sedentary behavior. Given this context, an emerging trend to promote physical activity is active breaks at school. This systematic review evaluated the effects of school-based physical activity interventions involving active breaks on children and adolescents’ classroom behavior, executive functions, and physical fitness.MethodsThis review was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCOhost. Studies published between January 2010 and August 31, 2023, including participants aged 5 to 18, were included. Interventions involving active breaks and outcomes related to classroom behavior, executive functions, and physical fitness were considered.ResultsInitially, 145 studies were identified, with 22 duplicates excluded. After screening 123 articles by title and abstract, 86 were excluded. Subsequently, 37 articles underwent full-text screening, resulting in 22 included studies. Six studies showed positive effects on classroom behavior; five studies showed improvements in executive functions, and only two studies indicated increases in physical fitness.DiscussionThis review suggests incorporating active breaks during school hours can improve classroom behavior in children and adolescents. However, the effects of active breaks on executive functions and physical fitness are unclear. More research is needed to fully understand the benefits of implementing active break programs in the classroom.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO, CRD42023448267, available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023448267.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1469998/fullclassroomcognitionfitnessinterventionchildhood |
| spellingShingle | Tomás Reyes-Amigo Gabriel Salinas-Gallardo Edgardo Mendoza Camilo Ovalle-Fernández Jessica Ibarra-Mora Nicolás Gómez-Álvarez Hernaldo Carrasco-Beltrán Jacqueline Páez-Herrera Juan Hurtado-Almonácid Rodrigo Yañez-Sepúlveda Rafael Zapata-Lamana Rafael Zapata-Lamana Felipe Sepúlveda-Figueroa Jorge Olivares-Arancibia Jorge Mota Effectiveness of school-based active breaks on classroom behavior, executive functions and physical fitness in children and adolescent: a systematic review Frontiers in Public Health classroom cognition fitness intervention childhood |
| title | Effectiveness of school-based active breaks on classroom behavior, executive functions and physical fitness in children and adolescent: a systematic review |
| title_full | Effectiveness of school-based active breaks on classroom behavior, executive functions and physical fitness in children and adolescent: a systematic review |
| title_fullStr | Effectiveness of school-based active breaks on classroom behavior, executive functions and physical fitness in children and adolescent: a systematic review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effectiveness of school-based active breaks on classroom behavior, executive functions and physical fitness in children and adolescent: a systematic review |
| title_short | Effectiveness of school-based active breaks on classroom behavior, executive functions and physical fitness in children and adolescent: a systematic review |
| title_sort | effectiveness of school based active breaks on classroom behavior executive functions and physical fitness in children and adolescent a systematic review |
| topic | classroom cognition fitness intervention childhood |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1469998/full |
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