title: Impact of recess interventions on children's physical activity--a meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this paper was to explore the effect of recess interventions on children's physical activity (PA) levels and to examine which specific interventions/characteristics have more influence on children's PA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, ProQuest, SPORT Discus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Papers published between 1986 and 2012, published in the English language, and evaluating any recess intervention with PA as an outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study outcomes were distilled into seven domains related to PA: age, gender, intervention type, intervention duration, duration of PA per intervention session, outcome measures, and study region.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Effect sizes were pooled within and across studies for each domain separately. Moderator analyses were performed using gender, age, and total length of intervention. Twenty-three independent samples were provided from 13 studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The estimated overall effect size for time in PA was .56 (SE .07), suggesting a positive and significant mean difference between pretest and posttest PA time after implementing a recess intervention. Differences in PA levels were moderated by age, duration and type of intervention, and type of outcome measures. CONCLUSION. The limited evidence suggests recess interventions can improve youth PA levels. Implications reinforce the importance of schools in advocating for recess during the school day. Strategies shown to increase student PA during recess should be implemented.
authors.forename: Heather E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Erwin
authors.forename: Melinda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ickes
authors.forename: Soyeon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fedewa
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012572:School Health Services