Interoceptive Awareness in School-Aged Children and Youth: A Systematic Integrative Review and Implications for School Health.

Background

Interoceptive awareness (IA), the capacity to perceive and interpret internal bodily signals, is increasingly linked to self-regulation, emotional functioning, and well-being. However, its conceptualisation, measurement, and relevance for school-aged children and youth remain fragmented, particularly within school health research.

Methods

This study employed a systematic integrative review, with study identification and selection reported in line with PRISMA 2020. Thirteen child- and youth-focused empirical studies were synthesized alongside supporting foundational literature using a narrative integrative approach.

Results

IA was identified as a multidimensional and developmentally situated construct. Evidence linked it to emotional regulation, social-emotional competence, executive functioning, sensory processing, playfulness, emotional eating, and school-related functioning. However, its adaptive value appears conditional, depending on how bodily awareness is interpreted and integrated with regulatory capacities. Measurement approaches varied, with most studies relying on self-report tools that primarily capture subjective awareness. Direct evidence from educational settings remains limited. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY IA may be cautiously integrated into existing school health, social-emotional learning, and well-being frameworks rather than treated as a standalone intervention.

Conclusion

IA offers a useful but still underdeveloped lens for understanding children's self-regulation and well-being in school health. Further classroom-based, longitudinal, and multimethod research is needed.