High levels of physical activity linked to early academic achievement

Date: Sep-12-2014A new study from Finland has suggested that being active could be crucial to making a good start when children first begin school. Researchers have found that high levels of physical activity are associated with early academic achievement - particularly in boys.

The researchers found that increased physical activity during recess and traveling to and from school were largely associated with improved academic results.

Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland found that for boys, during the first 3 years of school, reading and arithmetic skills were best in those who had high levels of physical activity. Activities included walking or cycling to school and being active during recess.

The risks of sedentary behavior are increasingly well documented; a sedentary lifestyle during childhood has been found by earlier studies to increase the risk of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease in adulthood.

In 2012, the Mayo Clinic reported that 50-70% of Americans spend 6 or more hours sitting a day, and 20-35% spend 4 or more hours a day watching television.

The authors say that levels of physical activity are decreasing, while sedentary behaviors such as watching TV are increasing among children in developed countries. Previous research has also suggested that lower levels of physical activity are associated with poorer academic achievement within children.

Other studies have found an association between physical education and academic achievement, but the authors say evidence is limited regarding any link between other forms of physical activity and "measures of academic achievement such as grades, standardized test scores or reading and arithmetic skills."

Physical and sedentary activities

In their study, published in PLOS ONE, the authors write that "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."

As such, they studied how different forms of physical and sedentary activities among children in the first grade were related to reading and arithmetic skills in grades one to three. The study followed 186 Finnish children during their first 3 years of school.

They found that higher levels of physical activity during the recess period were associated with better reading skills, and higher levels of organized sports participation were related to better arithmetic test scores.

The improvements in academic attainment were most striking in the male participants. Boys with higher levels of physical activity, and in particular walking or cycling to school, had better reading skills than the less active boys.

In addition to this, boys who participated in sedentary behavior associated with academia, such as reading and writing during their leisure time, had better reading skills than boys spending less time participating in these activities. Moderate computer and video game usage was also associated with improved arithmetic test scores in boys.

These results were not observed in the girl participants. Only a few associations of physical and sedentary behavior with academic achievement were noted by the researchers after they controlled for confounding factors, such as the educational achievements of their parents.

Gender differences

The authors say that the findings of the study illustrate the potential benefits of certain forms of activity for children going through the first few years of school life:

"More time spent in physical activity during recess, physically active school transportation, engagement in any organized sports and sedentary behavior related to academic skills were associated with better academic skills during the first school years in children."

The study found that there were significant differences between boys and girls in terms of the affects of physical activity - overall, higher levels of physical activity were associated with worse academic skills in girls.

The study was limited by a relatively small population sample and the observational nature of the research, meaning that their findings cannot be used to prove causal relationships. Further research will be required, which is something the authors themselves readily acknowledge.

The researchers suggest that "larger prospective epidemiological studies and intervention studies are warranted to provide further evidence for the possible causal associations of different types of PA and sedentary behavior with academic achievement in boys and girls."

Recently, Medical News Today reported on a study that found playing video games for short periods could be beneficial for children.

Written by James McIntosh

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Courtesy: Medical News Today Note: Any medical information available in this news section is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional.