Effectiveness of exercise as an intervention for internet addiction in adolescents: a meta-analysis

Background Internet addiction, particularly among adolescents, has become a pressing global concern, impacting psychological well-being and daily functioning. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise interventions in mitigating symptoms of internet addiction among adolescents. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science (WoS), Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases up to January 1, 2025. The search yielded 266 records, of which nine studies involving 654 adolescents met the inclusion criteria. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Meta-analyses, subgroup analyses, and sensitivity analyses were conducted using Review Manager 5.4 and Stata 17.0. Publication bias was evaluated using Egger’s tests. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42025632958). Results The random effects model revealed that exercise interventions significantly reduced internet addiction scores compared to the control group (standardized mean difference (SMD) = −1.11, 95% CI [−1.60 to −0.62], p < 0.000). Subgroup analyses indicated that the type of exercise, duration, frequency, and intensity of interventions did not significantly contribute to heterogeneity. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability of these findings. Tests for publication bias yielded non-significant results (Egger’s test, p = 0.226). Exercise-based interventions demonstrate significant efficacy in reducing symptoms of internet addiction among adolescents. Conclusions These findings underscore the importance of integrating physical activity into therapeutic strategies for managing internet addiction. The findings of this study will be useful for healthcare workers and adolescents with Internet addiction. However, due to the high heterogeneity of the included literature, these findings should be interpreted with caution.