A Prospective Cohort Study of Physical Activity and Academic Achievement among Elementary School Students in Taichung County

• Main Authors: Lin, Jhih-Yuan, 林志遠
• Other Authors: 古博文
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/77804934070389049081

碩士 === 國立彰化師範大學 === 應用運動科學研究所 === 97 === Purpose: The relationship of physical activity with academic achievement among school children with a six-month follow-up period was studied. Methods: The analyses were based on the data from the administrative and teaching system of the elementary school in Taichung county. Data from the fixed cohort of 409 grade six students (210 boys and 199 girls) in the first semester of the 2007 academic year with six-month follow-up interval were examined. Academic achievement (outcome variable) was the total scores in the second semester of the 2007 academic year. Physical activity (exposure variable) was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and physical activity levels were categorized as "low", "moderate" and "high". Covariates provided by the school included gender, intelligence quotient, parents’ educational levels, single parent family and depressive symptoms. One-way ANOVA was utilized to identify the underlying covariates. Hierarchical multiple regression models were then adopted for predicting academic achievement. Model 1 comprised gender and physical activity; Model 2 added the individual covariates- intelligence quotient, baseline academic achievement and depressive symptoms; Model 3 added the family covariates- father’s education level, mother’s education level and single parent family. Results:(1)With adjustment, the model 3 showed that children whose participation in high or moderate physical activity level had significant high semester total scores than low physical activity level(high=4.60, p<.01;moderate:=3.50, p<.05).(2)Boys whose participation in high or moderate physical activity level had significant high semester total scores than low physical activity level(high:=4.99, p<.01; moderate:=4.88, p<.05), but no significant correlation was found in girls.(3)Children whose participation in high physical activity level to perform better on various measures of language (=4.04, p<.01) and mathematics (=4.54, p<.01). Conclusions: It was found that a significant positive correlation between physical activity levels and academic achievement. It implicated that educational administrative institutions, schools and parents should encourage children to participate physical activity regularly and give more attention to physical education in elementary schools.