The Whole Day Movement Matters to Executive Function Among College Students

"The whole day movement matters to health." has become an important topic while the associations between executive function and different movement behaviors (i.e., physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB) and sleep) are traditionally examined in isolation. This study aimed to examine the combined associations of movement behaviors (i.e., moderate-to-vigorous PA [MVPA], light PA, screen-based SB, non-screen-based SB, and sleep) with executive function (i.e., working memory, inhibition, and overall executive function) among college students. A total of 366 college students (60.1% female; mean age = 22.59 ± 3.54) were recruited. Validated questionnaires were used to assess light PA, MVPA, screen-based and non-screen-based SB, sleep, and executive function. All the movement behaviors including screen-based SB (β = 0.13), sleep (β = -0.12), and MVPA (β = -0.16) were significant predictors on working memory (R² = 0.09). Only BMI (β = 0.14) was found to be a significant contributor to inhibition (R² = 0.05). The overweight/obese group had significantly higher scores (meaning lower functioning) in inhibition compared to peers with healthy weights (d = 0.24). These findings suggest healthy movement behaviors (i.e., engage in MVPA, reduce screen-based SB, sufficient sleep) and weight management are beneficial for executive function during young adulthood.