Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32548792›Full record

ReviewSports medicine - open2020

School-related physical activity interventions and mental health among children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Susanne Andermo, Mats Hallgren, Thi-Thuy-Dung Nguyen, Sofie Jonsson, Solveig Petersen, Marita Friberg, Anja Romqvist, Brendon Stubbs, Liselotte Schäfer Elinder

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Sports medicine - open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06350877 (One-on-one and Group-based Physical Activity Intervention Compared to a Wait-list Control for Post-secondary Student Mental Health and Well-being), which is not on this map. Cited by 130 papers, 16 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
130citing papers in PubMed, 16 pooled it
22.3field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06350877 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2024, after this paper: background citation

One-on-one and Group-based Physical Activity Intervention Compared to a Wait-list Control for Post-secondary Student Mental Health and Well-being: A 3-arm Parallel Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of TorontoRan2024 to 2025Enrolled93ConditionsPhysical Activity, Mental Health IssueArmsPhysical Activity Intervention
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

130 citing papers in PubMed, 16 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 299 citations in OpenAlex.

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  4. Effectiveness of booster strategies to promote physical activity maintenance: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2025
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70 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Susanne AndermoCommunity Nutrition and Physical Activity, Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavaegen 1E, 104 65, Stockholm, Sweden. Susanne.Andermo@ki.se.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8006-1991
Mats HallgrenEpidemiology of Psychiatric Conditions, Substance Use and Social Environment, Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavaegen 1E, 10465, Stockholm, Sweden.
Thi-Thuy-Dung NguyenEpidemiology of Psychiatric Conditions, Substance Use and Social Environment, Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavaegen 1E, 10465, Stockholm, Sweden.
Sofie JonssonUnit for Intervention and Implementation Research, Department of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels vaeg 13, 17165, Solna, Sweden.
Solveig PetersenDepartment of Living Conditions and Lifestyle, The Public Health Agency of Sweden, Nobels väg 18, 171 82, Solna, Sweden.
Marita FribergDepartment of Living Conditions and Lifestyle, The Public Health Agency of Sweden, Nobels väg 18, 171 82, Solna, Sweden.
Anja RomqvistDepartment of Living Conditions and Lifestyle, The Public Health Agency of Sweden, Nobels väg 18, 171 82, Solna, Sweden.
Brendon StubbsPhysiotherapy Department, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Denmark Hill, London, UK.
Liselotte Schäfer ElinderCommunity Nutrition and Physical Activity, Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavaegen 1E, 104 65, Stockholm, Sweden.
Karolinska Institutet · SEPublic Health Agency of Sweden · SEKing's College London · GB

Funding

Folkhälsomyndigheten 04287-2017, 05031-2018
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLow levels of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and mental health problems are issues that have received considerable attention in the last decade. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate effects of interventions targeting school-related physical activity or sedentary behaviour on mental health in children and adolescents and to identify the features of effective interventions.

methodsScientific articles published between January 2009 and October 2019 fulfilling the following criteria were included: general populations of children and adolescents between age 4 and 19, all types of school-related efforts to promote physical activity or reduce sedentary behaviour. Study selection, data extraction and quality assessment were done by at least two authors independently of each other. Data were analysed with a random effects meta-analysis and by narrative moderator analyses.

resultsThe literature search resulted in 10265 unique articles. Thirty-one articles, describing 30 interventions, were finally included. Eleven relevant outcomes were identified: health-related quality of life, well-being, self-esteem and self-worth, resilience, positive effect, positive mental health, anxiety, depression, emotional problems, negative effect and internalising mental health problems. There was a significant beneficial effect of school-related physical activity interventions on resilience (Hedges' g = 0.748, 95% CI = 0.326; 1.170, p = 0.001), positive mental health (Hedges' g = 0.405, 95% CI = 0.208; 0.603, p = < 0.001), well-being (Hedges' g = 0.877, 95% CI = 0.356; 1.398, p = < 0.001) and anxiety (Hedges' g = 0.347, 95% CI = 0.072; 0.623, p = 0.013). Heterogeneity was moderate to high (I

conclusionsSchool-related physical activity interventions may reduce anxiety, increase resilience, improve well-being and increase positive mental health in children and adolescents. Considering the positive effects of physical activity on health in general, these findings may reinforce school-based initiatives to increase physical activity. However, the studies show considerable heterogeneity. The results should therefore be interpreted with caution. Future studies should report on implementation factors and more clearly describe the activities of the control group and whether the activity is added to or replacing ordinary physical education lessons in order to aid interpretation of results.

trial registrationPROSPERO, CRD42018086757.

Indexed as

ChildrenMental healthMeta-analysisPhysical activitySchool-relatedSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID32548792
PMCPMC7297899
OpenAlexW3035372294

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.