Bullying victimization and aggression, physical activity and sedentary behaviors: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature regarding the associations of bullying victimization and aggression with participation in physical activity and sedentary behaviors. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis study was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis protocol. Manuscripts published between January 2010 and August 2020 were selected from searches performed using the following 5 databases: Psych Info, PubMed, Scielo, Science Direct, and Web of Sciences. Thirty-two manuscripts were included in the systematic review, among which 17 manuscripts examined the relationship of victimization and/or aggression with physical activity and/or sedentary behaviors and were included in the meta-analytic computations. Results The results of the systematic review and meta-analysis were congruent. Victimization was associated with less time spent in physical activity (OR = 0.91; 95 %CI = 0.87 – 0.95) and more time spent in sedentary behaviors (OR = 1.19; 95 %CI = 1.12 – 1.26). Aggression was associated with more time spent in sedentary behavior (OR = 1.58; 95 %CI = 1.36 – 1.83) Conclusions Prevention of bullying may lead to the adoption of healthier lifestyles by children and adolescents.