Improved cognitive performance in preadolescent Danish children after the school‐based physical activity programme “FIFA 11 for Health” for Europe – A cluster‐randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Objective: Recent studies have shown promising effects of physical activity on cognitive function, but there is a need to investigate this link in real-life settings such as schools. Hence, the objective of the present pilot study was to investigate whether the school-based physical activity programme "FIFA 11 for Health" for Europe could improve cognitive performance in preadolescent Danish children. Methods: The pilot study used an 11-week cluster-randomised intervention study design. School classes were randomly assigned to either a control group (CG) (n = 93 children, age = 11.8, s = 0.2 years), which performed the obligatory daily school-based physical activity (5 × 45 minutes per week); or an intervention group (IG) (n = 838 children, age = 11.9, s = 0.4 years), which substituted 2 × 45 minutes per week of the daily school physical activity with the "FIFA 11 for Health" for Europe programme. The programme combines small-sided football games, drills and health education. Cognitive performance was evaluated at baseline and follow-up. Results: The IG improved their cognitive performance compared to the CG for psychomotor function (56, s x -= 22 ms, p < .001), attention (39, s x -= 17 ms, p = .012) and working memory (79, s x -= 35 ms, p = .020). Conclusion: This pilot study provides evidence that the school-based physical activity programme "FIFA 11 for Health" for Europe can improve cognitive performance in preadolescent Danish schoolchildren. Future studies should attempt to disentangle the effects of "FIFA 11 for Health" for Europe on cognitive performance by investigating the characteristics of the programme's physical activity.

Acute high‐intensity football games can improve children's inhibitory control and neurophysiological measures of attention

“…Thus, small‐sided football games could be a relevant type of activity facilitating both positive experiences and active participation. The effects of small‐sided football games on inhibitory control and memory processes are sparsely elucidated and have only been assessed through longer exercise interventions involving more than one session . Furthermore, the intervention adopted in this study was multifaceted, comprising high‐intensity small‐sided games, coordinative demanding low‐intensity football drills and health education, thus limiting the ability to pinpoint exactly what caused the changes in cognitive test performance.…”

“…The effects of small-sided football games on inhibitory control and memory processes are sparsely elucidated and have only been assessed through longer exercise interventions involving more than one session. 23 Furthermore, the intervention adopted in this study was multifaceted, comprising high-intensity small-sided games, coordinative demanding low-intensity football drills and health education, thus limiting the ability to pinpoint exactly what caused the changes in cognitive test performance. This warrants more well-controlled studies of the effects of ballgames in general, and football in particular, on neurocognitive performance and brain functions to disentangle contributions from different potential moderators.…”

Dental Trauma First-Aid Knowledge and Attitudes of Physical Education Teachers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Literature with Meta-Regressions

“…Regular physical activity has many benefits for school-aged children and youth in terms of growth, health, and psychosocial outcomes, such as self-esteem and cognitive functioning [1][2][3][4]. However, sport participation may also lead to dental trauma [5], including tooth avulsion (displaced and lost teeth), tooth fracture (broken teeth), facial and temporo-mandibular fractures, and soft tissue injuries [6].…”

Physical Activity and Academic Performance in Children and Preadolescents: A Systematic Review

“…En este sentido, se observan dos requisitos básicos para que el ejercicio físico genere cambios positivos en la cognición. El primero reside en la carga de la intervención realizada, debiendo implicar un mínimo de 150 minutos semanales de trabajo en el que la intensidad sea moderada (Cheng et al, 2017;Lind et al, 2018). El segundo requisito se halla en las demandas cognitivas de la tarea a realizar, pues un deporte de cooperación y con adversario producirá mejoras cognitivas más acentuadas al implicar más estímulos, lo que conlleva una mejora de la capacidad de razonamiento o atención selectiva (Ruiz-Ariza et al, 2018;Schmidt et al, 2015).…”