The Relationship between Physical Activity Levels, Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Academic Achievement School-Age Children from Southern Spain

Manuel Ávila-García, Nuria Baena-Ogalla, Francisco Javier Huertas-Delgado, Pablo Tercedor and Emilio Villa-González
Additional contact information
Manuel Ávila-García: PA-HELP Physical Activity for Health Promotion Research Group, Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, 18011 Granada, Spain
Nuria Baena-Ogalla: PA-HELP Physical Activity for Health Promotion Research Group, Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, 18011 Granada, Spain
Francisco Javier Huertas-Delgado: PA-HELP Physical Activity for Health Promotion Research Group, Department of Musical, Plastic and Body Expression Didactics, Teacher Training Centre La Inmaculada, University of Granada, 18010 Granada, Spain
Pablo Tercedor: PA-HELP Physical Activity for Health Promotion Research Group, Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, 18011 Granada, Spain
Emilio Villa-González: PROFITH PROmoting FITness and Health through Physical Activity Research Group, Department of Physical Education and Sports, Sport and Health University Research Institute (iMUDS), Faculty of Education and Sport Sciences, University of Granada, 18071 Melilla, Spain

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 8, 1-11

Abstract: The relationship between physical activity (PA), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and academic achievement in young people is unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between PA, CRF and academic achievement in 152 children according to sex (average age of 8.6 ± 0.3 years) in southern Spain. A tri-axial accelerometer was used to measure PA; the 20-m Shuttle Run Test was performed to assess the CRF; and to know the academic achievement, the official school records were considered. The results showed a weak correlation between moderate PA and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) with CRF in boys (all, 0.2 > r < 0.4; p < 0.05), whereas the vigorous PA showed a moderate and weak correlation with CRF (all, p < 0.05), in both boys ( r = 0.537) and girls ( r = 0.382), respectively. In addition, a weak inverse correlation between moderate PA and MVPA with academic achievement showed in girls (all, 0.2 > r < 0.4; p < 0.05). Finally, the CRF weakly correlated with academic achievement only in boys (all, 0.2 > r < 0.4; p < 0.05). Our study showed a relationship between PA and CRF in both sexes. Nonetheless, the PA was inversely related to academic achievement in girls, whereas the CRF was related to academic achievement in boys.

Keywords: physical activity levels; VO2max; academic performance; children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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