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Physical activity and obesity mediate the association between childhood motor function and adolescents' academic achievement.

ABSTRACT: The global epidemic of obesity and physical inactivity may have detrimental implications for young people's cognitive function and academic achievement. This prospective study investigated whether childhood motor function predicts later academic achievement via physical activity, fitness, and obesity. The study sample included 8,061 children from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986, which contains data about parent-reported motor function at age 8 y and self-reported physical activity, predicted cardiorespiratory fitness (cycle ergometer test), obesity (body weight and height), and academic achievement (grades) at age 16 y. Structural equation models with unstandardized (B) and standardized (?) coefficients were used to test whether, and to what extent, physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and obesity at age 16 mediated the association between childhood motor function and adolescents' academic achievement. Physical activity was associated with a higher grade-point average, and obesity was associated with a lower grade-point average in adolescence. Furthermore, compromised motor function in childhood had a negative indirect effect on adolescents' academic achievement via physical inactivity (B = -0.023, 95% confidence interval = -0.031, -0.015) and obesity (B = -0.025, 95% confidence interval = -0.039, -0.011), but not via cardiorespiratory fitness. These results suggest that physical activity and obesity may mediate the association between childhood motor function and adolescents' academic achievement. Compromised motor function in childhood may represent an important factor driving the effects of obesity and physical inactivity on academic underachievement.

SUBMITTER: Kantomaa MT

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3562837 | biostudies-other | 2013 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Physical activity and obesity mediate the association between childhood motor function and adolescents' academic achievement.

Kantomaa Marko T MT Stamatakis Emmanuel E Kankaanpää Anna A Kaakinen Marika M Rodriguez Alina A Taanila Anja A Ahonen Timo T Järvelin Marjo-Riitta MR Tammelin Tuija T

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20121231 5

The global epidemic of obesity and physical inactivity may have detrimental implications for young people's cognitive function and academic achievement. This prospective study investigated whether childhood motor function predicts later academic achievement via physical activity, fitness, and obesity. The study sample included 8,061 children from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986, which contains data about parent-reported motor function at age 8 y and self-reported physical activity, predic ...[more]

PMID: 23277558

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Project description:BackgroundOver a fifth of children and adolescents suffer with asthma or atopic disease. It is unclear whether asthma impacts academic performance in children and adolescents, and little is known about the association of eczema, food allergy or hayfever and academic performance.ObjectiveTo examine whether asthma, eczema, food allergy or hayfever impacts on adolescent academic performance and to assess the role of unmeasured confounding.MethodsThis study used the Childhood and Adolescent Twin Study of Sweden cohort born 1992-1998. At age 9-12 years, parents reported on their child's ever or current asthma, eczema, food allergy and hayfever status (n = 10 963). At age 15, linked national patient and medication register information was used to create current and ever asthma definitions including severe and uncontrolled asthma for the same children. Academic outcomes in Grade 9 (age 15-16 years) included: eligibility for high school (Grades 10-12), and total mark of the best 16 subject units, retrieved from the Grade 9 academic register. Whole cohort analyses adjusted for known covariates were performed, and co-twin control analyses to assess unmeasured confounders.ResultsThere were no associations found for asthma or food allergy at 9-12 years and academic outcomes in adolescence. In addition, at age 15, there were no statistically significant associations with current, ever, severe or uncontrolled asthma and academic outcomes. Eczema and hayfever at age 9-12 years were found to be positively associated with academic outcomes; however, co-twin control analyses did not support these findings, suggesting the main analyses may be subject to unmeasured confounding.Conclusion and clinical relevanceHaving asthma or an atopic disease during childhood or adolescence does not negatively impact on academic performance. This information can be used by clinicians when talking with children and parents about the implications of living with asthma or atopic disease.

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Physical activity and obesity mediate the association between childhood motor function and adolescents' academic achievement.

Publications

Physical activity and obesity mediate the association between childhood motor function and adolescents' academic achievement.

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