Mediators between physical activity and academic achievement: A systematic review

Abstract

Funding informationThis study was funded by FEDER funds. The funder had no role in the design and conduct of the study Background: Research has suggested the beneficial effects of physical activity (PA) on academic achievement (AA). However, the mechanisms underlying this influence remain unclear. Some proposed mechanisms include physiological, cognitive, psychological, and behavioral paths. This study aimed to analyze mediators between PA and AA in children and adolescents. Methods: Systematic search in Medline, SPORTDiscuss, PsycInfo, Scopus, and Web of Science for observational and experimental studies, published up to March 2021. Results: Twenty-eight studies (75237 participants, aged 4-16) were included.The designs of these studies were: 21 studies cross-sectional, 5 longitudinal, and 2 experimental. Eight out of nine studies analyzing fitness as a mediator reported positive results, and one reported null finding. Adiposity was a significant mediator in one study, in two only in girls, and two reported null results. Cognition as a mediator was supported by four studies, whereas two reported null results.Regarding mental well-being, 10 out of 14 studies reported positive effects, and one out of five behavioral studies found positive results. Although studies were too sparse to draw conclusions, overall, the results indicated that self-esteem, selfimage, self-efficacy, stress, and health behaviors might be potential mediators in the relationship between PA and AA. All studies were rated as medium-high quality. Conclusion:Overall, the available evidence seems to suggest that cardiorespiratory fitness, cognition, mental well-being, and exercise-related behaviors play some role as mediators of the relationship between PA and AA. However, the cross-sectional nature of most of the reviewed studies prevents us from making any statement in terms of causal paths. Thus, well-designed follow-up and randomized controlled studies aimed not only to tests the effect of PA in AA, but also to examine the influence of mediators are required.

School-Day Physical Activity and Academic Achievement: Mediators Among US Elementary Students

“…Previous literature suggests that weight status is a stronger mediator for female than male individuals given greater weight stigma for female individuals (14); however, this study found stronger evidence for mediation among female students through CRF. One possible explanation may be higher levels of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder-related hyperactivity among male students, suggesting that male students with higher CRF are more likely to experience academically hindering hyperactivity than female students with higher CRF (35).…”

“…The same systematic review found mixed results for mediation by adiposity measures, including BMI (14). Of five studies looking at mediation by adiposity variables, two found an indirect association (14). Beyond mediation, the literature on BMI and CRF as predictors of AA also points to a stronger role for CRF (34).…”

“…Our results indicating a smaller indirect effect for BMI compared with CRF align with previous research. In a 2022 systematic review of mediators between PA and AA, CRF was the lone variable for which a majority of studies identified significant mediation (14). Of nine studies examining physical fitness as a mediator, six reported a positive indirect effect through fitness (14).…”

Correlação entre diferentes intensidades de atividade física e desempenho escolar de crianças do ensino fundamental

“…Os achados deste estudo apontam que o comportamento sedentário pode eventualmente ter uma influência positiva maior que a gerada pelas horas de prática da AF, o que deve ser olhado com muito critério. Além disso, a relação entre a atividade física e o desempenho escolar pode ser influenciado por outras variáveis, como a aptidão cardiorrespiratória, cognição, bem estar mental e outros comportamentos relacionados ao exercício, agindo como mediadores na associação (Visier-Alfonso et al, 2022) Vale destacar como ponto forte do presente estudo, a utilização de equipamentos de acelerometria ActiGraph GT3X+, provavelmente os mais utilizados em estudos científicos para a mensuração da atividade física (Migueles et al, 2017). De fato parece haver ainda inconsistências nos resultados oriundos de investigações conduzidas com medidas baseadas em equipamentos quando comparadas àquelas que utilizam medidas autorelatadas de AF (Marques et al, 2018).…”

Do Physical Fitness and Executive Function Mediate the Relationship between Physical Activity and Academic Achievement? An Examination Using Structural Equation Modelling

“…One of the literature gaps reveals scarce and mixed findings on what factors mediate the association between PA and academic achievement. To date, the association between PA and academic achievement in youth has been suggested to be underlain by some mediators, such as physical fitness, adiposity, cognitive function, behaviour, and mental well-being [ 19 ]. To our knowledge, only four studies have investigated whether executive function mediated the association between PA and academic achievement in youth.…”