{
  "abstract": "BackgroundEvidence remains inconclusive on whether repeated brief movement breaks improve cognition over time. Their potential relevance to university students’ wellbeing warrants longitudinal evaluation.PurposeThis study examined 12-week changes in cognitive-task performance, affect, and perceived stress among sedentary university students randomized to repeated exercise breaks or usual routine.MethodsThis two-arm randomized controlled trial included 120 university students aged 18–25 years, randomized to an exercise-break group (n = 60) or a usual-routine control group (n = 60) for 12 weeks. The intervention comprised three 5-min bouts of physical activity each weekday. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, week 6, and week 12 using the Stroop Color-Word Test, 2-back task, Trail Making Test (TMT), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Four participants discontinued intervention participation; 116 completed the intervention and formed the per-protocol (PP) sensitivity-analysis group. The primary intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis retained all 120 randomized participants in their assigned groups.ResultsThe primary ITT repeated-measures analyses showed group-by-time interactions for all six outcomes (all unadjusted p < 0.001). Because the six unadjusted p-values were reported only as thresholds, Holm-adjusted values are conservatively described as p < 0.006 rather than as exact adjusted p-values. The PP sensitivity analysis showed directionally consistent endpoint patterns among the 116 completers.ConclusionAmong university students in this 12-week study, the ITT repeated-measures analyses and PP sensitivity analysis were consistent with more favorable cognitive-task performance, affect, and perceived-stress scores in the exercise-break group than in the usual-routine control group. The study did not establish that total sitting exposure decreased or identify the physiological mechanisms underlying the observed differences.",
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  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": "Original Research",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 1,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Chunyan Sun"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4nrgvrvderj4d.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fpubh.2026.1961715",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1961715/full",
  "id": "4nrgvrvderj4d",
  "issns": [
    "2296-2565"
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  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1961715",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
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      "RA1-1270"
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  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-12",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4nrgvrvderj4d.ris",
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "feed-journal:medicine/epidemiology-public-health",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
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  ],
  "title": "Effects of repeated short exercise breaks on cognitive task performance, affect, and perceived stress in sedentary university students: a 12-week randomized controlled trial",
  "title_text": "Effects of repeated short exercise breaks on cognitive task performance, affect, and perceived stress in sedentary university students: a 12-week randomized controlled trial",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-14T15:20:56Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4nrgvrvderj4d",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Public Health",
  "versions": []
}