Table 1 Sample characteristics and the key finding for the association between PA, SB and SRH of the included studies (N = 68)

 Marques, 2019 Portugal [35]

5024 (52.8)

13.9

P+

NS

 Silva, 2019 Brazil [36]

6259 (59.7)

16.6

P+

–

 Jodkowska, 2019 Poland [37]

1173 (Girls only)

15

P+

N-

 Werneck, 2018 Brazil [38]

984 (58.8)

10–17

–

N-

 Li, 2018 Japan [39]

4966 (50.7)

15.8

P+

N- for girls

 Granger, 2017 European countries [40]

13,783

15

P+

NS

 Lachytova, 2017 Slovak Republic [4]

1111

14–16

P+

N-

 Matin, 2017 Iran [41]

13,486 (49.2)

12.47

P+

N-

 Novak, 2017 Croatia, Lithuania and Serbia [27]

6501(52)

14–19

P+

–

 Sharma, 2017 Peru [26]

1234 (61.4)

11–19

P+

–

 Husu, 2016 Finland [25]

851

7–14

P+

N-

 Koelmeyer, 2016 Australia [42]

2717 (Males only)

10–19

P+

–

 Sharma, 2016 Peru [43]

970 (53.8)

14.5

P+

N-

 Ustinavičienė, 2016 Lithuania [44]

1730 (49.8)

15.86 (boys), 15.81(girls)

–

N- for boys

 Badura, 2015 Czech Republic [45]

10,503 (50.8)

11,13,15

P+

–

 Herman, 2015 Canada [1]

7725 (49)

12–17

P+

N-

 Kantomaa, 2015 Finland [46]

7063

16

P+

–

 Martínez-López, 2015 Spain [47]

2293 (50.2)

14.2

P+

N-

 Meireles, 2015 Brazil [48]

1042 (47.2)

11–17

P+

NS

 Padilla-Moledo, 2015 Spain [49]

680 (46.0)

6–17.9

–

N-

 Novak, 2015 Croatia [50]

3427 (50.7)

17–18

P+

–

 Smith, 2015 UK [51]

3105

11–12

NS

NS

 Chun, 2014 South Korea [52]

3676

16–18

P+

–

 Craike, 2014 Australia [53]

732 (Girls only)

7–11

NS

–

 Dyremyhr, 2014 Norway [54]

2510

15–20

P+

–

 Herman, 2014 Canada [3]

527 (46.3)

9.64 (boys), 9.59 (girls)

P+ for boys

N- for girls (PC/video)

 Kovacs, 2014 Hungary [55]

881 (44.6)

16.6

P+

–

 Moor, 2014 28 European and North American countries [56]

117,460 (53.3)

11–15

P+

N-

 Brooks, 2014 UK [57]

4404 (51.6)

11, 13, 15

P+

–

 Afridi, 2013 Pakistan [58]

414 (46.1)

14.36

NS

–

 Do, 2013 South Korea [59]

136,589 (47.7)

13–18

–

N-

 Galán, 2013 Spain [60]

21,188

11–18

P+

–

 Spein, 2013 Greenland and Norway [61]

728 (56.5)

15–16

P+

–

 Richter, 2012 Germany [62]

6997 (49.9)

11–15

P+

–

 Tabak, 2012 Poland [63]

600 (50.8)

13.2–13.7

P+

NS

 Veloso, 2012 Portugal [64]

3069 (54.1)

14.8

P+

N-

 Zullig, 2011 US [65]

245 (54.7)

11–15

P+

NS

 Foti, 2010 US [66]

12,193

grade 9–12 high school

P+

N-

 Iannotti, 2009 North America and Europe [67]

49,124

11,13, 15

P+

N-

 Kahlin, 2009 Sweden [68]

1090 (57.1)

18.1

P+

–

 Mathers, 2009 Australia [69]

925 (49.6)

16.1

–

N- for video games

 Page, 2009a Thailand [70]

2492 (66.7)

16.2

P+

–

 Page, 2009b Central and Eastern European [71]

3123

16.6

P+

–

 Richter, 2009 European and North American countries [72]

97,721 (52.0)

13, 15

P+

N-

 Breidablik, 2008 Norway [73]

2741

18.3

P+

–

 Söderqvist, 2008 Sweden [74]

1269 (52.2)

15–19

–

N-

 Kelleher, 2007 Ireland, Europe and North America [75]

123,653 (51.1)

9–18

P+

N-

 Piko, 2007a Hungary [76]

1114 (60.1)

16.5

P+

–

 Piko, 2007b Hungary [77]

548 (45.3)

12.2

P+

–

 Alricsson, 2006 Sweden [78]

993 (51.0)

18.0

P+

–

 Piko, 2006 Hungary [79]

1109

14–21

P+

–

 Watanabe, 2006 Japan [80]

804 (48.9)

3–5

P+

–

 Brodersen, 2005 UK [81]

4320

11.8

P+

NS

 Honkinen, 2005 Finland [82]

994

12

P+

–

 Erginoz, 2004 Turkey [83]

4153 (47.0)

16.4

P+

–

 Pastor, 2003 Spain [84]

1038 (50.9)

16.31

P+

–

 Tremblay, 2003 Canada [85]

12,715

12–17

P+

–

 Vingilis, 2002 Canada [86]

1493

12–19

P+

–

 Thorlindsson, 1990 Iceland [87]

1131 (49.0)

15–16

P+

–

 Burdette, 2017 US [28]

7827 (54.0), 14-year FU

15.76 (baseline)

P+

–

 Liu, 2015 Japan [88]

5238 (51.8), 6-year FU

6 (baseline)

P+

–

 Nigg, 2015 US [89]

334 (55.1) at FU, 5-year FU

14.76 (FU)

NS

NS

 Spengler, 2014 Germany [90]

953 (54.5), 6-year FU

11–17 (baseline)

P+

NS

 Bauldry, 2012 US [91]

10,375 (53.0), 12-year FU

15.47 (baseline)

P+

–

 Elinder, 2011 Sweden [92]

2489 (51.8), 3-year FU

15.6 (baseline)

P+ for boys

–

 JerdÊn, 2011 Sweden [93]

1046 (50.3), 2-year FU

12–14 (baseline)

P+

–

 Breidablik, 2009 Norway [2]

2399, 4-year FU

13–19 (baseline)

P+

–

16 (baseline)

P+

–