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Published on: September 17, 2019
Association of School-Based Physical Activity Opportunities, Socioeconomic Status, and Third-Grade Reading
Ben D Kern1, Kim C Graber2, Sa Shen3
1School of Kinesiology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 138-A Bourgeois Hall, 225 Cajundome Blvd., Lafayette, LA 70506.
Background:
Socioeconomic status (SES) is the most accurate predictor of academic performance in US schools. Third-grade reading is highly predictive of high school graduation. Chronic physical activity (PA) is shown to improve cognition and academic performance. We hypothesized that school-based PA opportunities (recess and physical education) would moderate the negative association between SES and third-grade reading.
Methods:
Schools serving third-grade students were surveyed (N = 1279) for minutes/week of PA opportunities. Allotted weekly PA time and achievement data from participating schools (N = 784) were recorded and analyzed. To test the moderator hypothesis, moderated multiple regression analysis was conducted.
Results:
The interaction of PA opportunities and SES explained a significant increase in variance in third-grade reading (b = .053, p < .001), thus moderating the relationship between SES and third-grade reading. Further analysis showed that schools offering greater than 225 minutes/week of PA opportunities experienced a greater (+5%) moderating effect.
Conclusion:
School-based PA opportunities positively moderate the relationship between SES and third-grade reading, and lowest SES schools experience greater moderating effects. Future research should consider PA opportunities as a moderator of the SES-academic achievement relationship, and school policy makers should consider the influence that PA opportunities have on student achievement at varying SES levels.
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