Research: Academic Performance and Attendance

How obesity, physical activity, and Safe Routes to School initiatives affect learning, academic achievement, and attendance

There is a growing body of evidence showing a positive relationship between physical activity and measures of academic achievement, including grade point average (Kontomaa et al, 2013), rate of learning (Hillman et al., 2009), and classroom behavior (Davis and Cooper, 2011), as well as cognitive, social, and motor skill development and ability (Active Living Research, 2015).

Physical activity has demonstrated both short-term improvements to attention and memory, as well as long-term benefits for brain health (Active Living Research, 2015). Meanwhile, research suggests that overweight and obesity may be connected with lower academic performance (Kamijo et al., 2012) and greater risk for school absenteeism (Geier et al., 2007). More study is needed to explain the causal relationships between fitness, physical activity, body weight, and academics, but the connections are evident.

Safe Routes to School programs are an important complement to physical education and active learning during the school day to help students achieve national guidelines of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily for children. The school setting is key for shaping opportunities for physical health and promoting health because children spend up to seven hours a day at school. However, school physical education alone will not achieve recommended amounts of daily physical activity among children (National Institutes of Medicine, 2013). A “whole of school” approach that encourages physical activity through active transport to school, such as Safe Routes to School programs, is beneficial (National Research Council, 2013). Yet, fewer than 10% of school districts nationwide include language promoting Safe Routes to School in their wellness policies (National Research Council, 2013). Articles in this section explore the relationships between fitness, physical activity, body weight, and academic performance.

ALR infographic

Infographic: Active Living Research

Research Highlights:

  • Aerobic fitness has been connected with better standardized test performance (Roberts, Freed, and McCarthy, 2010).
  • Cardiorespiratory fitness and weight status have been independently connected with academic achievement, cognition, and behavior (Sardinha et al., 2014; Davis and Cooper, 2011).
  • Children with a high level of fitness performed better on a test of memory than children with low levels of fitness (Raine et al., 2013).
  • Higher body mass has been associated with lower academic achievement (Kamijo et al., 2013). Meanwhile, students with a healthier body mass index and cardiovascular fitness have higher academic achievement (Janak et al., 2014).
  • In one study of middle schoolers, students who were not overweight had 25% fewer absences and 39% lower tardiness compared with students who were overweight (Shore et al., 2008).
  • After adding physical activity to school curriculum, students performed 6% better on standardized tests than peers learning the same material in seated, inactive sessions (Donnelly and Lambourne, 2011).
  • After 20 minutes of walking, students completed learning tasks more quickly and accurately and performed better on tests of reading comprehension (Hillman et al., 2009). Other studies have confirmed that 20 minutes of acute aerobic exercise, like walking, improve children’s cognitive performance (Drollette et al., 2014).
  • An experimental study showed that students with intellectual and developmental disabilities had improved reaction time and brain activity following short bouts of cycling (Vogt et al., 2013).
  • One study connected active commuting with higher cognitive performance on verbal, reasoning, and numerical tests among adolescent girls (Martinez-Gomez, 2011).
  • Physical inactivity is more prevalent among lower-income youth and youth of color, which may negatively affect academic achievement, and active transportation can be an important strategy for increasing physical activity in this population (Basch, 2011).
  • Schools serving adolescents from families of lower income should implement brief sessions of aerobic exercise during the school day, as just 12 minutes of aerobic exercise improved adolescents’ selective visual attention and reading comprehension abilities (Tine, 2014).
  • Regular physical activity and higher levels of physical fitness have been linked to improved academic performance and brain function. Single sessions of physical activity can enhance attention and memory (Castelli et al., 2015).
  • Physical activity is positively associated with cognition, but more research is needed on the role of sex, type and intensity of physical activity, and psychological variables (i.e., self-esteem, depression) (Esteban-Cornejo et al., 2014).
  • Achieving adequate physical activity and maintaining aerobic fitness in childhood is critical to improve cognitive and brain development in adolescence (Khan et al., 2014).
Research
Physical Activity and the Achievement Gap Among Urban Minority Youth

KEY TAKEAWAY:

There are disparities in physical activity and academic achievement among urban minority school-aged children, and improving physical activity and fitness in schools, especially through active transportation to school, could be a strategy for improving academic achievement among this group.

Research
CLASSROOM-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, COGNITION, AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

KEY TAKEAWAY:

This study demonstrated improved academic performance following implementation of physically active academic lessons.

Research
Active Commuting to School and Cognitive Performance in Adolescents

The aim of this cross-sectional study is to examine the associations between active commuting to school and cognitive performance in adolescents in five cities (Granada, Madrid, Murcia, Santander, and Zaragoza) in Spain.

Research
Exploring Student Perceptions to Explain the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Academic Achievement in Adolescents
A Mixed Methods Study

The significance of this study is to gain a better understanding of adolescent perceptions to explain the role physical activity plays on academic achievement. The intent is to provide additional insight into improving educational and community programs and policies to increase physical activity among adolescents.

Research
Fitness, Fatness, Cognition, Behavior, and Academic Achievement Among Overweight Children
Do Cross-Sectional Associations Correspond to Exercise Trial Outcomes?

This study examined associations of fitness and fatness with cognitive processes, academic achievement, and behavior, independent of demographic factors, at the baseline of an exercise trial.

Research
The Effect of Acute Treadmill Walking on Cognitive Control and Academic Achievement in Preadolescent Children

Key Takeaway: Single, short bouts of moderately-intense exercise like walking can improve cognitive control and attention in children.

Research
Active Commuting to School and Cognitive Performance in Adolescents

This cross-sectional study examined the associations between active commuting to school and cognitive performance in adolescents in 5 cities in Spain.

Research
Basal Ganglia Volume is Associated With Aerobic Fitness in Preadolescent Children

This study is the first to explore the association between childhood aerobic fitness and basal ganglia structure and function.

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Childhood Obesity, Academic Achievement, and School Expenditures

This study examines whether childhood obesity affects student achievement and whether these effects differ by family income level.

Research
Effect of a Two-Year Obesity Prevention Intervention on Percentile Changes in Body Mass Index and Academic Performance in Low-Income Elementary School Children

This is a study of the effects of a school-based obesity prevention interventions that included dietary, curricula, and physical activity components on body mass index (BMI) percentiles and academic performance among low-income elementary school children.