Interventions during school recess to increase physical activity. Systematic review

Abstract

The WHO recommends that children and young people do a total of 60 minutes a day of moderate or vigorous physical activity. The schoolyard, therefore, can become an ally to aid in achieving half of this recommended time, if it is structured and organized optimally. A systematic search of articles published between 2013 and November of 2021 was carried out. The final result, after discards, consists of a total of 15 articles which describe the interventions established in a total of eight countries in 270 schools involving a total of more than 13000 students. The results of most of these studies indicate that the strategies analyzed do have the potential to increase physical activity during recess. The main findings have an impact on intervening in: the context conditions, the availability of game equipment, the presence of the adult-supervisor, the game brands and the amount of equipment. Physical activity during recess can be increased through a multicomponent intervention. Success depends on the commitment of active, caring adults and varied, connected, and well-located facilities.