Effects of in-school physical activity on body mass index, school performance, and educational attainment

Citation

Staiano, Amanda Exner (2010). Effects of in-school physical activity on body mass index, school performance, and educational attainment. 2010 Add Health Users Conference. Bethesda, MD.

Abstract

U.S. adolescents face high obesity rates and inferior academic performance compared to international peers. Increasing physical activity via in-school physical education may improve health status, concentration, memory, and general academic performance. Yet little is known about the impact of varying levels of in-school physical activity on academic outcomes. This study analyzes Wave I to Wave III, employing a quasi-experimental design using linear regression analyses to compare no, moderate, and high levels of in-school physical activity (P.E.) on academic and health outcomes. Preliminary results indicate that students with moderate to high levels of P.E. reported fewer in-class attention problems and higher educational attainment than students with no P.E. Additionally, students who had moderate levels of P.E. had lower body mass index than students with no P.E. There was a negative effect of P.E. on academic achievement as measured by grade point average, and there was no effect of P.E. on cognitive performance as measured by a standardized verbal test. Connecting P.E. to academic achievement could validate the need for policies requiring in-school physical activity, which would not only improve health status but potentially improve academic performance of U.S. youth.

URL

https://addhealth.cpc.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/docs/news/FINAL%202010%20Add%20Health%20Users%20Conference%20Abstracts.pdf

Reference Type

Conference proceeding

Book Title

2010 Add Health Users Conference

Author(s)

Staiano, Amanda Exner

Year Published

2010

City of Publication

Bethesda, MD

Reference ID

6441