ArticleHealthcare (Basel, Switzerland)2021
Impact of Active Breaks in the Classroom on Mathematical Performance and Attention in Elementary School Children.
Article in Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of active breaks on attention and executive function in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis.European journal of pediatrics · 2026Pooled it
- The impact of mindfulness training and physical exercise on student academic burnout and academic achievement: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Acute effect of physical activity on academic outcomes in school-aged youth: A systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis.Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports · 2024Pooled it
- Changes in Sedentary Time and Implicit Preference for Sedentary Behaviors in Response to a One-Month Educational Intervention in Primary School Children: Results from the Globe Trotter Pilot Cluster-Randomized Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Trial
- Active Breaks Enhance Complex Processing Speed, Math Performance, and Physical Activity in Primary School Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2025Article
- Effects of a 7-week active breaks intervention program on physical literacy and body mass index.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Effects of flexible learning spaces, active breaks, and active lessons on sedentary behaviors, physical activity, learning, and musculoskeletal health in school-aged children: a scoping review.Journal of activity, sedentary and sleep behaviors · 2024Review
- Effect of an Active Break Intervention on Attention, Concentration, Academic Performance, and Self-Concept in Compulsory Secondary Education.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2024Article
- Enhancing Behavioural Changes: A Narrative Review on the Effectiveness of a Multifactorial APP-Based Intervention Integrating Physical Activity.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Review
- Differences in Physical Activity Levels between Healthy and Transplanted Children: Who Needs More Tips?Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe increasing need to face the problem of sedentarism, especially in the COVID-19 era, induced teachers and researchers to find new intervention methodologies in school context. Active breaks (ABs) include brief periods of physical activity as a part of the curriculum. This study aimed to investigate the AB acute responses on attentive skills and mathematical performance and attention in a primary school.
methodsA total of 141 children (aged 9.61 ± 0.82), divided into six classes, participated in this study. Each class was randomly assigned to three groups on the basis of the type of protocol performed during the three ABs scheduled in a school day: fitness (FIT), creativity (CREAT), and control group (CON). At baseline and at the end of interventions, all participants underwent the Stroop Color and Word test (SCWT) and the math test (MATH) to assess the level of attention and mathematical performance, respectively. The degree of enjoyment was evaluated through the modified Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale.
resultsThe factorial ANOVA showed significant differences between the FIT and CON in MATH test (
conclusionsThis study showed a positive acute impact of AB interventions. FIT positively influenced attentive and math performances more than the CREAT, probably due to the correct work/rest ratio and executive rhythm that allowed children to reach a good level of exertion. This report showed that ABs can be a useful and productive activity to be performed between curricular lessons.
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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.