Mind–Body Physical Activity (MBPA) in educational settings is one possible preventive strategy for ameliorating stress-related physiological health parameters. The objectives of this study were to conduct a systematic review of the literature with meta-analyses on the effects of MBPA on stress-related physiological health markers in primary, secondary, and higher education students. In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, the search for peer-reviewed articles published in English was conducted in PubMed, EBSCOhost, PsychInfo, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases. Criteria for inclusion consisted of empirical studies targeting the student population (primary, secondary, higher education), studies examining the effectiveness of an MBPA intervention, studies including a control or comparison group (pre-test/post-test studies excluded), studies targeting physiological marker outcomes such as heart rate, blood glucose, cortisol, and blood pressure, and finally, studies examining interventions implemented within educational settings. Twenty-six interventions were eligible for the review and quantitative synthesis, which comprised a total of 1625 participants, with 783 students serving within the control/comparison group. There were statistically significant and large pooled effects for MBPA effectiveness for lowering heart rate (Hedges’ g = −1.71, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): −2.43, −0.98), cortisol (Hedges’ g = −1.32, 95% CI: −2.50, −0.16), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (Hedges’ g = −1.04, 95% CI: −1.53, −0.58). These effects tended to be stronger in older students compared to younger students. Most analyses were characterized as having high heterogeneity and only 10 of the 26 studies were characterized as good quality (38.4%). MBPA interventions may have a positive impact on specific physiological health markers in students, especially in students within higher education. However, higher-quality research is needed in this area.

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the implementation of an online mind–body physical activity (MBPA) intervention and physical activity (PA), stress, and well-being in young adults during COVID-19. The participants were a sample of college students (N = 21; 81% female). The MBPA intervention was organized in four online modules that were administered asynchronously for 8 weeks with three separate 10 min sessions per week. The intervention components consisted of traditional deep breathing, diaphragm mindful breathing, yoga poses, and walking meditation. Objective PA behaviors were assessed using wrist-worn ActiGraph accelerometers, and stress and well-being data were collected using validated self-report instruments. A 2 (sex) × 3 (time) doubly multivariate analysis of variance test with a univariate follow-up showed that the % of wear time in light (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was significantly higher at the end of the intervention compared to baseline (LPA mean difference = 11.3%, p = 0.003, d = 0.70; MVPA mean difference = 2.9%, p < 0.001, d = 0.56). No significant differences were observed for perceived stress and well-being, and there was no moderating effect of sex. The MBPA intervention showed promise, as it was associated with higher PA in young adults during COVID-19. No improvements were observed for stress and well-being. These results warrant further testing of the intervention’s effectiveness using larger samples.

Playgrounds are designed to be a safe, enjoyable, and effective means to promote physical activity in children and adolescents. The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis to determine the effectiveness of playground interventions for improving accelerometer-assessed ambulatory moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and to identify common aspects of playground interventions that may be beneficial to promote behavior change. An internet database search was performed. The final analyzed sample of studies was obtained from several criteria, including being a playground-based intervention targeting children or adolescents, having a control or comparison group, having an accelerometer-assessed MVPA outcome target variable, and reporting of the mean difference scores’ variability. A random-effects model meta-analysis was employed to obtain pooled effect sizes. Ten studies (n = 10) were analyzed from the internet search. The weighted pooled effect (Hedges’ g) across all studies was Hedges’ g = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.02–0.24, p = 0.023. There was moderate study heterogeneity (I2 = 55.3%) but no evidence for publication bias (p = 0.230). These results suggest that school-based playground interventions have a small effect on increasing accelerometer-assessed MVPA within the pediatric population. The playground should still be an environmental target during school or community-based interventions aimed at providing opportunities to promote MVPA.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected college students’ overall health. The aims of this qualitative inquiry were to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the effectiveness of the mind-body physical activity (MBPA) intervention and to explore the MBPA intervention experiences through the use of journals and photographs (photovoice) of a purposeful sample of 21 college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. An inductive qualitative process was used to explore the data that emerged from photovoice images and journals. Students’ experiences were encapsulated in 6 key themes: (1) holistic individual well-being; (2) physical activity as a matter of necessity; (3) mind-body physical activity intervention impacts; (4) broadening strategies for adapting and reacting; (5) systemic effect of stress management changes; and (6) perceiving causes of stress. Participants reflected collective intellectual, physical, and emotional fatigue as obstacles and perceived stress. The quality of COVID-19 related perspectives and stressful experiences are defined from traumatic and overwhelming to higher than normal. Findings from this study contribute to our understanding of the distinctive factors of the COVID-19 era among college students. Health educators should consider the implementation of multilevel and multicomponent MBPA interventions, and our findings highlight the utility of supporting higher education students in a meaningful way.

The purpose of this study is to understand the common accommodations used during standardized motor assessment of children on the autism spectrum. This study was completed in three parts: (1) a narrative review of the literature; (2) an open-ended survey sent to the first authors of the identified articles; and (3) a descriptive analysis of responses. Results revealed that 56.7% of the identified articles did not report enough information of assessment procedures, 18.9% followed the assessment manual, 16.9% provided accommodations on a needs basis, and 7.5% used a consistent modified protocol. Individual responses showed that extra demonstrations ( n = 5) were the most frequent accommodation, followed by extra breaks ( n = 3), picture cards ( n = 2), and hand-over-hand assistance ( n = 1); some respondents stated that they did not provide accommodations. The findings indicate that a clear set of accommodation for motor skill assessments does not exist, though some commonalities were reported. Further research is necessary to understand the impact of accommodations in the assessment process, as well as which accommodations are needed and/or effective.