Above average increases in body fat from 9 to 15 years of age had a negative impact on academic performance, independent of physical activity
Aim The associations between body fat levels and physical activity with academic performance are inconclusive and were explored using longitudinal data. Methods We enrolled 134/242 adolescents aged 15, who were studied at the age of nine and agreed to be followed up from April to May 2015 for the He...
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Published in | Acta Paediatrica Vol. 108; no. 2; pp. 347 - 353 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Norway
Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
01.02.2019
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Aim
The associations between body fat levels and physical activity with academic performance are inconclusive and were explored using longitudinal data.
Methods
We enrolled 134/242 adolescents aged 15, who were studied at the age of nine and agreed to be followed up from April to May 2015 for the Health behaviours of Icelandic youth study. Accelerometers measured physical activity, body mass indexes (BMI) were calculated and dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry scans assessed the participants’ body composition at nine and 15. Their language and maths skills were compared to a growth model that estimated the academic performances of children born in 1999.
Results
Higher than normal body fat levels between the ages of nine and 15 were negatively associated with maths performance, but the same association was not found for Icelandic language studies. These were Pearson's r = −0.24 (p = 0.01) for BMI and Pearson's r = −0.34 (p = 0.01) for the percentage of body fat. No associations were found with changes in physical activity.
Conclusion
Children who put on more body fat than normal between the ages of nine and 15 had an increased risk of adverse academic performance that was independent of changes in physical activity. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 0803-5253 1651-2227 |
DOI: | 10.1111/apa.14459 |