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The subject-dependent, cumulative, and recency association of aerobic fitness with academic performance in Taiwanese junior high school students.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:The objective of the current study was to examine whether the relation between aerobic fitness and academic achievement during adolescence is subject-dependent, and to investigate cumulative and recency effects. METHODS:This study made use of two nationwide datasets. The first was the aerobic fitness profile of junior high school students collected by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan. The second contained the scores on the Basic Competence Test for Junior High School Students (BCTJH). The sample consisted of 382,259 students who completed the BCTJH in the 5?years between 2009 and 2013. Data on each student's aerobic fitness during their three years of junior high school were matched with their exam results at the end of this period. RESULTS:The results revealed that students classified as highly-fit during at least one of the three years had higher BCTJH scores than those who never achieved this level, with the size of effect increasing with the length of time that fitness was maintained. Additionally, aerobic fitness in the final year was more closely linked to BCTJH scores than that in the earlier two years. Fitness was also more strongly associated with exam performance in math, science and social science, relative to language-related subjects. CONCLUSIONS:Our findings suggest that while aerobic fitness is positively related to academic achievement in Taiwanese junior high school students, the relationship depends on academic subject, as well as the length and time of being aerobically fit.

SUBMITTER: Hsieh SS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6337796 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The subject-dependent, cumulative, and recency association of aerobic fitness with academic performance in Taiwanese junior high school students.

Hsieh Shu-Shih SS Tsai Jia-Ren JR Chang Shao-Hsi SH Ho Jen-Yu JY Chen Jui-Fu JF Chen Po-Hsi PH Sung Yao-Ting YT Hung Tsung-Min TM

BMC pediatrics 20190117 1

<h4>Background</h4>The objective of the current study was to examine whether the relation between aerobic fitness and academic achievement during adolescence is subject-dependent, and to investigate cumulative and recency effects.<h4>Methods</h4>This study made use of two nationwide datasets. The first was the aerobic fitness profile of junior high school students collected by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan. The second contained the scores on the Basic Competence Test for Junior High School ...[more]

PMID: 30654766

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Project description:Aerobic fitness has been shown to have several beneficial effects on child health. However, research on its relationship with academic performance has been limited, particularly in developing countries and among undernourished populations. This study examined the association between aerobic fitness and academic achievement in clinically healthy but nutritionally compromised Indian school-aged children and assessed whether micronutrient status affects this association. 273 participants, aged 7 to 10.5 years, were enrolled from three primary schools in Bangalore, India. Data on participants' aerobic fitness (20-m shuttle test), demographics, anthropometry, diet, physical activity, and micronutrient status were abstracted. School-wide exam scores in mathematics and Kannada language served as indicators of academic performance and were standardized by grade level. The strength of the fitness/achievement association was analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation, multiple variable logistic regression, and multi-level models. Significant positive correlations between aerobic capacity (VO2 peak) and academic scores in math and Kannada were observed (P < 0.05). After standardizing scores across grade levels and adjusting for school, gender, socioeconomic status, and weight status (BMI Z-score), children with greater aerobic capacities (mL * kg(-1) * min(-1)) had greater odds of scoring above average on math and Kannada exams (OR=1.08, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.15 and OR=1.11, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.18, respectively). This association remained significant after adjusting for micronutrient deficiencies. These findings provide preliminary evidence of a fitness/achievement association in Indian children. While the mechanisms by which aerobic fitness may be linked to academic achievement require further investigation, the results suggest that educators and policymakers should consider the adequacy of opportunities for physical activity and fitness in schools for both their physical and potential academic benefits.

Project description:IntroductionSports and physical activities are a frequent cause of traumatic brain injury, primarily concussions, among adolescents. These concussions may adversely affect students' ability to learn and impair academic achievement in educational settings.MethodsThe 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted among a nationally representative sample of 14,765 U.S. high school students, was analyzed in 2018 to examine associations between self-reported sports- and physical activity-related concussions and symptoms of cognitive impairment (difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions) and self-reported academic grades (mostly A's=4.0, mostly B's=3.0, mostly C's=2.0, mostly D's=1.0, mostly F's=0.0). Adjusted prevalence ratio and the difference in self-reported estimated grade point average were adjusted for sex, race/ethnicity, grade, and athlete status (participation on sports teams) and considered statistically significant if p<0.05.ResultsMale students were more likely than female students (17.1% vs 13.0%), and athletes were more likely than nonathletes (21.4% vs 7.6%) to have a self-reported sports- and physical activity-related concussion in the 12 months preceding the survey. Students with a reported sports- and physical activity-related concussion were more likely than students without one to report symptoms of cognitive impairment regardless of whether they were male (adjusted prevalence ratio=1.49), female (adjusted prevalence ratio=1.37), athletes (adjusted prevalence ratio=1.45), or nonathletes (adjusted prevalence ratio=1.42). Self-reported grade point averagedecreased significantly from 3.14 among students who reported no concussions (referent), to 3.04 among students who reported a single concussion, and 2.81 among students who reported ≥2 concussions.ConclusionsSchool-based programs are needed to monitor students' academic performance and provide educational support and resources to promote academic success following a concussion.

Dataset Information

The subject-dependent, cumulative, and recency association of aerobic fitness with academic performance in Taiwanese junior high school students.

Publications

The subject-dependent, cumulative, and recency association of aerobic fitness with academic performance in Taiwanese junior high school students.

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