Short exercise breaks at school could reduce problematic smartphone use

An intervention built into school breaks

The trial followed 386 adolescents across 12 classes for six months. Classes were randomized, rather than individual students. The intervention group completed four daily two-minute bouts of vigorous physical activity during scheduled school breaks. The waitlist control group maintained its usual habits.

Assessments took place at baseline and at two, four and six months. The primary outcomes were the SAS-SV score, used to assess the severity of problematic smartphone use, and device-measured daily screen time. The researchers also tracked physical activity and several psychological measures.

A screen time difference at four months

At four months, the between-group difference in change from baseline was approximately 52 fewer minutes of screen time per day in favor of the intervention, according to the adjusted model. The 95% confidence interval ranged from approximately 37 to 67 fewer minutes. This is an average difference between groups, not a guaranteed reduction for every adolescent.

For the SAS-SV score, the adjusted difference in change was 6.55 points in favor of the intervention, with a 95% confidence interval of 5.71 to 7.38 points. The authors note that the clinical significance of this change remains to be determined: a lower score alone does not establish a meaningful improvement in everyday functioning.

The abstract also reports increased step counts and improvements in several psychological measures, without providing enough detail to assess their magnitude precisely.

An encouraging result, not an established solution

Randomization strengthens the interpretation that the intervention had an effect in this school setting. However, it does not identify the mechanism responsible for the changes. According to the authors, the psychological mechanisms remain to be explored.

During the two months of follow-up without supervision, some improvements faded. The abstract does not provide enough detail about which improvements faded or by how much. The four-month result therefore does not demonstrate a lasting benefit after support ended.

What we can take away

This trial supports further study of supervised exercise breaks at school to reduce problematic smartphone use. It is not enough to establish them as a stand-alone or lasting solution.