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.