School activity programs showed short-term gains, with no clear lasting effect
Across randomized trials, school programs increased adolescents' activity during early follow-up, but longer-term pooled results did not show statistically significant benefits.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
School programs produced a modest increase in activity during early follow-up, based on evidence rated low certainty. Beyond that period, pooled analyses did not find significant effects on overall activity, sedentary behavior, or body mass index. The results support a short-term signal while leaving lasting changes uncertain, rather than proving that every program stops working.
The authors report substantial differences across studies and low to moderate overall evidence certainty. The abstract does not describe control conditions or identify which program components account for the pooled findings.
What researchers found
Physical activity level
School interventions versus controls at 0–6 months; standardized mean difference, with low-certainty evidence.
A range of programs
Programs included combinations of activities, dedicated activity lessons, educational sessions, and after-school options. Pooling them addresses a broad school-based approach; it does not establish the effectiveness of a particular lesson or activity.
Understanding the numerical result
The numerical result uses a standardized scale so different activity measures can be combined. It is not a percentage increase in activity, and the abstract does not translate it into minutes.
The original publication
Interventions for promoting physical activity among adolescents in school settings: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Moin M, Farhan Z, Naqvi SK et al.
J Glob Health · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41891240
- Record checked
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