Linear/nonlinear relations of activity and fitness with children's academic achievement

David M. Hansen; Stephen D. Herrmann; Kate Lambourne; Jaehoon Lee; Joseph E. Donnelly

doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000362

Linear/nonlinear relations of activity and fitness with children's academic achievement

David M. Hansen, Stephen D. Herrmann, Kate Lambourne, Jaehoon Lee, Joseph E. Donnelly

Education EPL

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

A growing research base suggests that the benefits of physical activity (PA) and aerobic fitness for children extend beyond overall health/well-being to include academic achievement (AA). The majority of research studies on relations of PA and fitness with AA have used linear-only analytic approaches, thereby precluding the possibility that PA and fitness could have a differing effect on AA for those more/less active or fit.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate both linear and nonlinear associations of PA and aerobic fitness with children's AA among a sample of 687 second and third grade students from 17 Midwest schools.

Study Design: Using baseline data (fall 2011) from a larger 3-yr intervention trial, multilevel regression analyses examined the linear and nonlinear associations of AA with PA and with progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run (PACER) laps (i.e., aerobic fitness), controlling for relevant covariates.

Results: Fitness, but not PA, had a significant quadratic association with both spelling and mathematics achievement. Results indicate that 22-28 laps on the PACER was the point at which the associated increase in achievement per lap plateaued for spelling and mathematics.

Conclusions: Increasing fitness could potentially have the greatest effect on children's AA for those below the 50th fitness percentile on the PACER.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2279-2285
Number of pages	7
Journal	Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
Volume	46
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000362
State	Published - Dec 10 2014

Keywords

Academic performance
Accelerometer
Aerobic fitness
Children
Pacer
Weschsler individual achievement test

Access to Document

10.1249/MSS.0000000000000362

Link to publication in Scopus

Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Linear/nonlinear relations of activity and fitness with children's academic achievement'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this

@article{1ee62ba47a0843909f68b534c2ac8cff,

title = "Linear/nonlinear relations of activity and fitness with children's academic achievement",

abstract = "A growing research base suggests that the benefits of physical activity (PA) and aerobic fitness for children extend beyond overall health/well-being to include academic achievement (AA). The majority of research studies on relations of PA and fitness with AA have used linear-only analytic approaches, thereby precluding the possibility that PA and fitness could have a differing effect on AA for those more/less active or fit.Objective: This study aimed to evaluate both linear and nonlinear associations of PA and aerobic fitness with children's AA among a sample of 687 second and third grade students from 17 Midwest schools.Study Design: Using baseline data (fall 2011) from a larger 3-yr intervention trial, multilevel regression analyses examined the linear and nonlinear associations of AA with PA and with progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run (PACER) laps (i.e., aerobic fitness), controlling for relevant covariates.Results: Fitness, but not PA, had a significant quadratic association with both spelling and mathematics achievement. Results indicate that 22-28 laps on the PACER was the point at which the associated increase in achievement per lap plateaued for spelling and mathematics.Conclusions: Increasing fitness could potentially have the greatest effect on children's AA for those below the 50th fitness percentile on the PACER.",

keywords = "Academic performance, Accelerometer, Aerobic fitness, Children, Pacer, Weschsler individual achievement test",

author = "Hansen, {David M.} and Herrmann, {Stephen D.} and Kate Lambourne and Jaehoon Lee and Donnelly, {Joseph E.}",

year = "2014",

month = dec,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1249/MSS.0000000000000362",

language = "English",

volume = "46",

pages = "2279--2285",

journal = "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise",

issn = "0195-9131",

number = "12",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Linear/nonlinear relations of activity and fitness with children's academic achievement

AU - Hansen, David M.

AU - Herrmann, Stephen D.

AU - Lambourne, Kate

AU - Lee, Jaehoon

AU - Donnelly, Joseph E.

PY - 2014/12/10

Y1 - 2014/12/10

N2 - A growing research base suggests that the benefits of physical activity (PA) and aerobic fitness for children extend beyond overall health/well-being to include academic achievement (AA). The majority of research studies on relations of PA and fitness with AA have used linear-only analytic approaches, thereby precluding the possibility that PA and fitness could have a differing effect on AA for those more/less active or fit.Objective: This study aimed to evaluate both linear and nonlinear associations of PA and aerobic fitness with children's AA among a sample of 687 second and third grade students from 17 Midwest schools.Study Design: Using baseline data (fall 2011) from a larger 3-yr intervention trial, multilevel regression analyses examined the linear and nonlinear associations of AA with PA and with progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run (PACER) laps (i.e., aerobic fitness), controlling for relevant covariates.Results: Fitness, but not PA, had a significant quadratic association with both spelling and mathematics achievement. Results indicate that 22-28 laps on the PACER was the point at which the associated increase in achievement per lap plateaued for spelling and mathematics.Conclusions: Increasing fitness could potentially have the greatest effect on children's AA for those below the 50th fitness percentile on the PACER.

AB - A growing research base suggests that the benefits of physical activity (PA) and aerobic fitness for children extend beyond overall health/well-being to include academic achievement (AA). The majority of research studies on relations of PA and fitness with AA have used linear-only analytic approaches, thereby precluding the possibility that PA and fitness could have a differing effect on AA for those more/less active or fit.Objective: This study aimed to evaluate both linear and nonlinear associations of PA and aerobic fitness with children's AA among a sample of 687 second and third grade students from 17 Midwest schools.Study Design: Using baseline data (fall 2011) from a larger 3-yr intervention trial, multilevel regression analyses examined the linear and nonlinear associations of AA with PA and with progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run (PACER) laps (i.e., aerobic fitness), controlling for relevant covariates.Results: Fitness, but not PA, had a significant quadratic association with both spelling and mathematics achievement. Results indicate that 22-28 laps on the PACER was the point at which the associated increase in achievement per lap plateaued for spelling and mathematics.Conclusions: Increasing fitness could potentially have the greatest effect on children's AA for those below the 50th fitness percentile on the PACER.

KW - Academic performance

KW - Accelerometer

KW - Aerobic fitness

KW - Children

KW - Pacer

KW - Weschsler individual achievement test

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84916638458&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1249/MSS.0000000000000362

DO - 10.1249/MSS.0000000000000362

M3 - Article

C2 - 24781896

AN - SCOPUS:84916638458

VL - 46

SP - 2279

EP - 2285

JO - Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise

JF - Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise

SN - 0195-9131

IS - 12

ER -