Physically active Chilean school kids perform better in language and mathematics

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Educational Psychology
• Sports Science

Background:

• Physical activity (PA) is crucial for child development.
• The relationship between PA and academic performance (AP) in school-age children requires further investigation.
• Current PA levels among students in the Santiago Metropolitan Region are largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between regular physical activity and academic performance in school-age children.
• To determine the impact of different levels of weekly exercise on standardized test scores.
• To explore the link between health-related behaviors and educational outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A random sample of 1271 students (mean age 13.3 years) from the Santiago Metropolitan Region was analyzed.
• Regular PA was measured by weekly hours of scheduled exercise.
• Academic performance was assessed using national standardized test scores in Language and Mathematics.
• Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were employed to model the relationship.

Main Results:

• Approximately 80% of students engaged in less than 2 hours of scheduled exercise per week.
• Exercising more than 4 hours weekly significantly increased the likelihood of achieving both official and discretionary academic sufficiency in Language and Mathematics.
• Moderate exercise (2-4 hours/week) only improved the odds of meeting discretionary academic standards.

Conclusions:

• Poor engagement in regular exercise is prevalent among schoolchildren.
• Higher allocation of time to scheduled exercise is associated with better academic performance in Language and Mathematics.
• School health programs promoting physical activity may positively influence educational outcomes, supporting the link between academic and health-related behaviors.