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Does increased physical activity in school affect children's executive function and aerobic fitness?
S E Kvalø1, E Bru2, K Brønnick3
1Department of Education and Sport Science, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway.
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
|February 17, 2017
Summary
Increased physical activity in schools may enhance children's executive function. This 10-month study found a tendency for improvement, suggesting longer interventions might yield significant effects on cognitive skills.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Educational Psychology
- Sports Science
Background:
- Childhood obesity and sedentary lifestyles are growing concerns.
- Physical activity is crucial for overall child development, including cognitive functions.
- The link between physical activity, aerobic fitness, and executive function in school-aged children requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of increased school-based physical activity on children's executive function and aerobic fitness.
- To determine if enhanced physical activity interventions in schools can lead to measurable improvements in cognitive abilities and physical health.
- To explore the relationship between changes in aerobic fitness and executive function following a physical activity intervention.
Main Methods:
- A 10-month randomized controlled trial involving 449 children aged 10-11 years.
- Intervention group received physically active academic lessons, breaks, and homework.
- Aerobic fitness assessed via a 10-minute running test; executive function measured using Stroop, verbal fluency, digit span, and Trail Making tests.
Main Results:
- A non-significant tendency for improvement in executive function was observed (F(1, 344)=3.64, P=.057).
- No significant interaction effect was found for aerobic fitness between the intervention and control groups.
- Results suggest a potential positive influence of school-based physical activity on executive function, independent of aerobic fitness gains.
Conclusions:
- Increased physical activity in schools shows a potential, though not statistically significant, benefit for children's executive function.
- Aerobic fitness did not significantly improve in the intervention group compared to the control group.
- Longer intervention durations may be necessary to achieve statistically significant improvements in both executive function and aerobic fitness in children.
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