Determinants of Cognitive Performance in Children and Adolescents: A Populational Longitudinal Study

Rodrigo Antunes Lima, Fernanda Cunha Soares, Mireille van Poppel, Saija Savinainen, Aino Mäntyselkä, Eero A. Haapala and Timo Lakka
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Rodrigo Antunes Lima: Research, Innovation and Teaching Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
Fernanda Cunha Soares: Division of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
Mireille van Poppel: Institute of Sport Science, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
Saija Savinainen: Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
Aino Mäntyselkä: Department of Pediatrics, Kuopio University Hospital, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
Eero A. Haapala: Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
Timo Lakka: Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 15, 1-15

Abstract: We evaluated the determinants of cognitive performance in children and adolescents. This is a longitudinal study, secondary analysis of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) study. We assessed 502 children (51.6% girls) at middle childhood (range: 6.6 to 9.0 years), at late childhood, 437 children (51.0% girls, range: 8.8 to 11.2 years), and in 277 adolescents (54.5% girls, range: 15.0 to 17.4 years). Raven’s progressive matrices tests estimated the participants’ cognitive performance (outcome variable) at all time points. In total, we evaluated 29 factors from various dimensions (prenatal, neonatal, child fitness, lifestyle and anthropometrics). None of the neonatal and anthropometric parameters were associated with cognitive performance. Preeclampsia (prenatal) and listening to music, writing, arts and craft and watching TV (lifestyle) were negatively associated with cognitive performance. Shuttle run and box and block tests (fitness), and playing music, reading and time at the computer (lifestyle) were positive determinants of cognitive performance in children and adolescents. Fitness and lifestyle factors during childhood and adolescence diminished the importance of prenatal factors on cognitive performance and lifestyle factors were especially relevant in regard to cognitive performance. Reading was positively associated with cognitive performance, regardless of age and time dedicated, and should be promoted.

Keywords: children; adolescents; cognition; development; behaviour; lifestyle; health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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