Dataset Information

Associations of physical activity and sedentary behavior with academic skills--a follow-up study among primary school children.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There are no prospective studies that would have compared the relationships of different types of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) with academic skills among children. We therefore investigated the associations of different types of PA and SB with reading and arithmetic skills in a follow-up study among children.

Methods

The participants were 186 children (107 boys, 79 girls, 6-8 yr) who were followed-up in Grades 1-3. PA and SB were assessed using a questionnaire in Grade 1. Reading fluency, reading comprehension and arithmetic skills were assessed using standardized tests at the end of Grades 1-3.

Results

Among all children more recess PA and more time spent in SB related to academic skills were associated with a better reading fluency across Grades 1-3. In boys, higher levels of total PA, physically active school transportation and more time spent in SB related to academic skills were associated with a better reading fluency across the Grades 1-3. Among girls, higher levels of total PA were related to worse arithmetic skills across Grades 1-3. Moreover, total PA was directly associated with reading fluency and arithmetic skills in Grades 1-3 among girls whose parents had a university degree, whereas these relationships were inverse in girls of less educated parents.

Conclusions

Total PA, physically active school transportation and SB related to academic skills may be beneficial for the development of reading skills in boys, whereas factors that are independent of PA or SB may be more important for academic skills in girls.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01803776.

SUBMITTER: Haapala EA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4160223 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Associations of physical activity and sedentary behavior with academic skills--a follow-up study among primary school children.

Haapala Eero A EA Poikkeus Anna-Maija AM Kukkonen-Harjula Katriina K Tompuri Tuomo T Lintu Niina N Väistö Juuso J Leppänen Paavo H T PH Laaksonen David E DE Lindi Virpi V Lakka Timo A TA

PloS one 20140910 9

<h4>Background</h4>There are no prospective studies that would have compared the relationships of different types of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) with academic skills among children. We therefore investigated the associations of different types of PA and SB with reading and arithmetic skills in a follow-up study among children.<h4>Methods</h4>The participants were 186 children (107 boys, 79 girls, 6-8 yr) who were followed-up in Grades 1-3. PA and SB were assessed using a q ...[more]

PMID: 25207813

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Dataset Information

Associations of physical activity and sedentary behavior with academic skills--a follow-up study among primary school children.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Trial registration

Publications

Associations of physical activity and sedentary behavior with academic skills--a follow-up study among primary school children.

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