Effects of brief bouts of exercise, embodied cognitive training, and their combination on social anxiety in rural left-behind children: a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effects of three intervention modes on social anxiety among rural left-behind children in China, including brief bouts of exercise, defined as short, structured periods of physical activity integrated into daily routines; embodied cognitive training, defined as training that integrates cognitive tasks with goal-directed bodily movements; and a combined intervention incorporating both approaches, with outcomes assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up. Methods: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted to examine the effects of different interventions on social anxiety among rural left-behind children. Participants were recruited purposively from one rural primary school in Shaodong City, Hunan Province, and then randomly allocated to four groups ( Results: At baseline, no significant differences were observed among groups in social anxiety (SA), fear of negative evaluation (FNE), or social avoidance and distress (SAD) (all Conclusion: All three interventions were associated with reductions in social anxiety relative to the control group. Compared with single-modality interventions, the combined intervention demonstrated greater improvements during the intervention period and follow-up.