The effects of physical activity on social-emotional competence in primary school students: a meta-analysis

Introduction Children and adolescents globally face escalating mental health challenges, with approximately one in seven experiencing mental health conditions. This phenomenon is closely linked to underdeveloped social-emotional competence (SEC), highlighting the urgency of prioritizing and strengthening socioemotional development. The primary school years represent a developmentally sensitive period for cultivating SEC, making this stage particularly crucial. As a viable intervention approach, physical activity (PA) demonstrates established associations with multiple dimensions of SEC. Consequently, this meta-analysis systematically integrates and quantitatively evaluates empirical studies involving primary school students aged 5-13 years to determine the overall effect of PA interventions on SEC. Methods This review strictly followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the Practical Guide for Transparent Reporting of Systematic Reviews. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cluster randomized controlled trials (cRCTs) examining PA interventions targeting SEC in primary school students. Cohen's d served as our primary effect size metric. Results Twelve studies were included in this meta-analysis. The results indicated that PA intervention improved SEC in primary school students [ d = 0.37, 95% CI (0.20, 0.55), p < 0.001]. Moderator analysis revealed that structured PA and shorter-length interventions ( ≤ 12 weeks) yielded superior effects on SEC. Furthermore, the effect size was significantly higher for special needs children [children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)] compared to typically developing children. Pre-pandemic physical activity interventions demonstrated significantly more positive effects on SEC than those implemented post-pandemic. Discussion The findings of this meta-analysis provide robust evidence for the effectiveness of PA interventions in enhancing SEC among primary school students. Moderator analyses indicate that the effect is moderated by PA type, participant group, Length of Intervention, and Research Period. These findings underscore the significant potential of PA as a feasible solution for improving SEC in this population. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251012368 , identifier: CRD420251012368.