Understanding the Benefits of Brief Classroom-Based Physical Activity Interventions on Primary School-Aged Children's Enjoyment and Subjective Wellbeing: A Systematic Review.

The review could not conduct a meta-analysis because studies used different outcome measures, so it cannot provide a pooled estimate of effect. Findings were inconsistent: eight wellbeing studies and three enjoyment studies found no significant effect. No studies reported blinding of participants where this was possible, and only 3 of 8 studies where investigator blinding was possible reported it. Several interventions combined physical activity breaks with other components, such as food service and information for families, information about sedentary and dietary behaviors, classroom curriculum on healthy lifestyles, adaptation of playgrounds, physical activity homework, standing during lessons, or enhanced physical education, so the independent effect of the breaks cannot be isolated. The review included only English, peer-reviewed studies of mainstream primary schools, so it may miss relevant evidence and cannot be generalized to home, community, secondary school, or early learning settings. Teacher training and professional learning were often poorly described, making replication and interpretation of implementation difficult. Subjective wellbeing was defined broadly, so studies measured different constructs such as self-efficacy, quality of life, mood, and self-confidence.

Philanthropic funding was received from the Ferrero Group as part of its Kinder Joy of Moving Corporate Social Responsibility initiative. Ferrero had no role in the design of the study, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to submit the article for publication.

Do not conclude that brief classroom physical activity breaks alone improve children's subjective wellbeing or enjoyment. The review found mixed results, and several included studies combined the breaks with other components such as food service and information for families, information about sedentary and dietary behaviors, classroom curriculum on healthy lifestyles, adaptation of playgrounds, physical activity homework, standing during lessons, or enhanced physical education, so the contribution of the physical activity break itself cannot be separated.