Incidence of School Failure According to Baseline Leisure-Time Physical Activity Practice: Prospective Study

Abstract

PurposeTo evaluate the prospective association between leisure-time physical activity practice at 11 years of age and incidence of school failure from 11 to 15 years of age.MethodsThe sample comprised >4,300 adolescents followed up from birth to 15 years of age participating in a birth cohort study in Pelotas, Brazil. The incidence of school failure from age 11 to 15 years was calculated by first excluding from the analyses all subjects who experienced a school failure before 11 years of age, and then categorizing as “positive” all those who reported repeating a grade at school from 11 to 15 years of age. Leisure-time physical activity was measured using a validated questionnaire.ResultsThe incidence of school failure was 47.9% among boys and 38.2% among girls. Adolescents in the top quartile of leisure-time physical activity practice at 11 years of age had a higher likelihood of school failure (OR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.75) compared with the least active adolescents. In adjusted analyses stratified by sex, boys in the top quartile of leisure-time physical activity practice at 11 years of age were also more likely to have failed at school from age 11 to 15 years (OR: 1.60; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.33).ConclusionsAdolescents allocating >1,000 min/wk to leisure-time physical activity were more likely to experience a school failure from 11 to 15 years of age. Although this finding does not advocate against physical activity promotion, it indicates that excess time allocated to physical activity may jeopardize school performance among adolescents.

Prospective Findings From the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study

“…The next three articles focus on the health effects of behavioral changes during adolescence [5][6][7]. Menezes et al report a positive association between self-reported physical activity practice in adolescence and effort-dependent lung function, particularly among girls [5].…”

“…X Third, some exposures (e.g., physical activity) might have both benefits (lung function) and harmful effects (school failure), depending on the dose [5,6].…”

“…Hallal et al show that adolescents born to high-income families had half the odds of walking or cycling to school compared with those whose families became wealthy during adolescence, suggesting that the habit of commuting to school under one's own power was "built" early in life [3]. Anselmi et al examine the influence of poverty on mental health, showing that both persistent poverty and becoming poor over time were associated with a greater likelihood of developing conduct disorders in adolescence [4].The next three articles focus on the health effects of behavioral changes during adolescence [5][6][7]. Menezes et al report a positive association between self-reported physical activity practice in adolescence and effort-dependent lung function, particularly among girls [5].…”

“…Menezes et al report a positive association between self-reported physical activity practice in adolescence and effort-dependent lung function, particularly among girls [5]. In contrast, Rombaldi et al show that too much time dedicated to physical activity (Ͼ 1,000 min/wk) may jeopardize school performance [6]. In addition, Noal et al report that the prevalence of wheezing at 15 years of age was 53% greater among obese versus nonobese adolescents [7].…”

“…Consider the collective critical findings: X First, several factors arise early in development. Further, the behaviors and social context of the family affects not just the young child but also the adolescent [1-4,11].X Second, behaviors tend to track from childhood to adolescence, suggesting once again that interventions need to start earlier, preferably before individuals get on the wrong track [3,4,9 -11].X Third, some exposures (e.g., physical activity) might have both benefits (lung function) and harmful effects (school failure), depending on the dose [5,6].X Fourth, qualitative studies provide us with an opportunity to hear the nuances that come from adolescents and families that are difficult to extract from quantitative studies [10]. …”