Children’s Aerobic Fitness and Academic Achievement: A Longitudinal Examination of Students During Their Fifth and Seventh Grade Years

Wittberg, Richard; Northrup, Karen; Cottrell, Lesley

doi:10.2105/ajph.2011.300515

Cited by 79 publications

(96 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…8,10,11,27 Specifically, in this study, higher aerobic fitness mediated the positive association of selfreported PA and AA among all children. Interestingly, among girls, the direct association between self-reported PA and AA remained after the mediator aerobic fitness was added to the model but disappeared among boys.…”

Section: Jpah Vol 15 No 2 2018supporting

confidence: 48%

The Relation of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviors, and Academic Achievement Is Mediated by Fitness and Bedtime

Syväoja¹,

Kankaanpää²,

Kallio³

et al. 2018

Journal of Physical Activity and Health

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Background: This study investigated the associations of subjectively and objectively measured physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior with academic achievement. We further examined whether aerobic fitness, obesity, and bedtime mediate these associations. Methods: This study included 970 children aged 9-15 years (52.3% girls) from 9 schools throughout Finland. Register-based academic achievement [grade point average (GPA)] as well as self-reported and accelerometer-measured PA/ sedentary behavior were assessed during spring 2013. Aerobic fitness (assessed via a maximal shuttle run test), body composition (assessed via bioimpedance analysis), and self-reported bedtime were collected. Structural equation modeling was applied to examine the associations. Standardized regression coefficients are presented. Results: Self-reported PA had a direct positive [β = 0.084; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.023 to 0.145] and an indirect positive association with GPA through higher aerobic fitness (β = 0.061; 95% CI, 0.033 to −0.087). Accelerometer-based PA was not associated with GPA. Self-reported screen time had an indirect negative association with GPA through later bedtime (β = −0.071; 95% CI, −0.096 to −0.035) and lower aerobic fitness (β = −0.039; 95% CI, −0.059 to 0.019). Nonscreen sedentary time had a direct positive (β = 0.193; 95% CI, 0.101 to −0.289) and an indirect negative association with GPA through lower aerobic fitness (β = −0.040; 95% CI, −0.063 to −0.016). Conclusions: Participating in PA, avoiding excessive screen time, and going to bed earlier may benefit academic achievement.Keywords: academic performance, moderate to vigorous physical activity, screen time, sedentary time, adolescents Globally, children spend extensive amounts of time being sedentary, 1 and only one-third of children are physically active enough to gain health benefits. 2 Accompanying these trends, the rates of childhood overweight and obesity, along with poor fitness, are escalating. 3,4 These trends have raised concerns about the effects of a physically inactive lifestyle on children's health during maturation and across the lifespan, as physical activity (PA) continues to decrease and sedentary time (ST) continues to increase from childhood to adolescence and adulthood. 5,6 The association of a physically active lifestyle with learning outcomes has also recently received considerable attention. Previous studies have suggested that excessive screen time 7,8 and excess adiposity 9,10 may predict poorer academic achievement (AA), whereas regular PA and higher aerobic fitness 11,12 benefit AA.Sufficient sleep has also been related to better AA. 13,14 The periods of sleep, together with time spent in PA and sedentary behavior (SB), have been suggested to constitute a composite whole, as the time spent in one of these behaviors necessarily displaces time spent in another. 15 Although these behaviors are closely related to each other, the associations with AA have thus far been studied only in isolation or with a partial adjustment for ...

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Section: Jpah Vol 15 No 2 2018supporting

confidence: 48%

The Relation of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviors, and Academic Achievement Is Mediated by Fitness and Bedtime

Syväoja¹,

Kankaanpää²,

Kallio³

et al. 2018

Journal of Physical Activity and Health

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“…Fitness was consistently associated with academic achievement across the three longitudinal studies (107, 150, 166). Sample sizes across the studies ranged from 757 to 1725, and the participants involved ranged from 2 nd through 7 th grade.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…All three studies used the FITNESSGRAM® to assess fitness level. One study used the WESTEST (166), one used a California standardized test in math and English , and one study used tests of literacy and numeracy designed by Australian government education authority and the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (150). The studies showed that students who increased their fitness or maintained fitness across time had higher academic achievement scores than students who did not achieve the Healthy Fitness Zone® (the gender- and age-specific fitness goals) on the physical fitness tests that are part of the FITNESSGRAM™ (107, 166), and that students and schools with higher fitness levels had achieved better literacy and numeracy scores (150).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One study used the WESTEST (166), one used a California standardized test in math and English , and one study used tests of literacy and numeracy designed by Australian government education authority and the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (150). The studies showed that students who increased their fitness or maintained fitness across time had higher academic achievement scores than students who did not achieve the Healthy Fitness Zone® (the gender- and age-specific fitness goals) on the physical fitness tests that are part of the FITNESSGRAM™ (107, 166), and that students and schools with higher fitness levels had achieved better literacy and numeracy scores (150). Interestingly, SES has been shown to moderate the relation between fitness and achievement; London et al's (107) study in 5 th -7 th graders showed that more advantaged students have a greater ability to maintain higher levels of academic achievement despite lower levels of fitness, whereas less advantaged students experience an even greater level of academic disadvantage when they are also physically unfit.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Physical Activity, Fitness, Cognitive Function, and Academic Achievement in Children

Donnelly¹,

Hillman²,

Castelli³

et al. 2016

Medicine &Amp; Science in Sports &Amp; Exercise

1,354

1,062

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Background The relation among physical activity (PA), fitness, cognitive function, and academic achievement in children is receiving considerable attention. The utility of PA to improve cognition and academic achievement is promising but uncertain; thus, this position stand will provide clarity from the available science. Objective To answer the following questions: (1) among children aged 5-13, do PA and physical fitness influence cognition, learning, brain structure, and brain function? (2) among children aged 5-13, do PA, physical education, and sports programs influence standardized achievement test performance and concentration/attention? Study Eligibility Criteria Primary source articles published in English in peer-reviewed journals. Articles that presented data on, PA, fitness or physical education (PE)/sport participation and cognition, learning, brain function/structure, academic achievement, or concentration/attention were included. Data Sources Two separate searches were performed to identify studies that focused on (1) cognition, learning, brain structure, and brain function; and (2) standardized achievement test performance and concentration/attention. PubMed, ERIC, PsychInfo, SportDiscus, Scopus, Web of Science, Academic Search Premier, and Embase were searched (January 1990- September 2014) for studies that met inclusion criteria. Sixty-four met inclusion criteria for the first search (cognition/learning/brain) and 73 studies met inclusion criteria for the second search (academic achievement/concentration). Study appraisal and synthesis methods Articles were grouped by study design as cross-sectional, longitudinal, acute, or intervention trials. Considerable heterogeneity existed for several important study parameters, therefore results were synthesized and presented by study design. Results A majority of the research supports the view that physical fitness, single bouts of PA, and PA interventions benefit children's cognitive functioning. Limited evidence was available concerning the effects of PA on learning, with only one cross-sectional study meeting the inclusion criteria. Evidence indicates that PA has a relation to areas of the brain that support complex cognitive processes during laboratory tasks. While favorable results have been obtained from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies related to academic achievement, the results obtained from controlled experiments evaluating the benefits of PA on academic performance are mixed and additional, well-designed studies are needed. Limitations Limitations in evidence meeting inclusion criteria for this review include a lack of randomized controlled trials, limited studies that are adequately powered, lack of information on participant characteristics, failure to blind for outcome measures, proximity of PA to measurement outcomes, and lack of accountability for known confounders. Therefore, many studies were ranked as high risk for bias due to multiple design limitations. Conclusions The present systematic review found evidence t...

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“…Additionally, other outcomes besides metabolic syndrome should be evaluated because physical fitness is associated with more than just cardiometabolic risk. For example, recent research has shown the HFZ to be related to risk for depression (Rieck, Jackson, Martin, Petrie, & Greenleaf, 2013), blood markers of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (Trilk et al, 2013), academic achievement (Wittberg, Northrup, & Cottrell, 2012), and cognitive control (Scudder et al, 2014).…”

Section: S17mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cross-Validation of FITNESSGRAM® Health-Related Fitness Standards in Hungarian Youth

Laurson

Saint‐Maurice

Karsai

et al. 2015

Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport

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Children’s Aerobic Fitness and Academic Achievement: A Longitudinal Examination of Students During Their Fifth and Seventh Grade Years

Abstract: Students' aerobic capacity is associated with greater academic achievement as defined by standardized test scores. This advantage appears to be maintained over time, especially if the student stays in the HFZ.

Cited by 79 publications

References 25 publications

The Relation of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviors, and Academic Achievement Is Mediated by Fitness and Bedtime

The Relation of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviors, and Academic Achievement Is Mediated by Fitness and Bedtime

Physical Activity, Fitness, Cognitive Function, and Academic Achievement in Children

Cross-Validation of FITNESSGRAM® Health-Related Fitness Standards in Hungarian Youth

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