scholarly journals The Associations Between Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Academic Performance: A Twin Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Sari Aaltonen ◽  
Teemu Palviainen ◽  
Richard J. Rose ◽  
Urho M. Kujala ◽  
Jaakko Kaprio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Activity Behavior ◽  
Academic Skills ◽  
Essay Writing ◽  
Polygenic Scores ◽  
Activity Behavior ◽  
And Mathematics

Background: Both genetic and environmental influences have been shown to contribute to the association between physical activity and overall academic performance. The authors examined whether leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) shares genetic and environmental variances between spelling, essay writing, reading aloud, reading comprehension, and mathematics in early adolescence. Moreover, they investigated whether genetic polymorphisms associated with physical activity behavior affect these academic skills. Methods: Participants were 12-year-old Finnish twins (n = 4356–4370 twins/academic skill, 49% girls). Academic skills were assessed by teachers, and LTPA was self-reported. Polygenic scores for physical activity behavior were constructed from the UK Biobank. Quantitative genetic modeling and linear regression models were used to analyze the data. Results: The trait correlations between LTPA and academic skills were significant but weak (r = .05–.08). The highest trait correlation was found between LTPA and mathematics. A significant genetic correlation was revealed between LTPA and essay writing (rA = .14). Regarding polygenic scores of physical activity, the highest correlations were found with reading comprehension, spelling, and essay writing, but these results only approached statistical significance (P values = .09–.15). Conclusions: The authors’ results suggest that reading and writing are the academic skills that most likely share a common genetic background with LTPA.

Mechanism by Which BMI Influences Leisure-time Physical Activity Behavior

Obesity ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1314-1317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaston Godin ◽  
Ariane Bélanger-Gravel ◽  
Bertrand Nolin
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Activity Behavior ◽  
Activity Behavior

scholarly journals Using Physical Education to Promote Leisure-Time Physical Activity in Lower Secondary School Students: The PETALS Trial

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jekaterina Schneider ◽  
Juho Polet ◽  
Mary Hassandra ◽  
Taru Lintunen ◽  
Arto Laukkanen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Autonomy Support ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Activity Behavior ◽  
Autonomous Motivation ◽  
School Students ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Activity Behavior ◽  
Perceived Autonomy Support

Abstract Background Inadequate physical activity in young people is associated with several physical and mental health concerns. Physical education (PE) is a potentially viable existing network for promoting physical activity in this population. However, little research has been conducted on whether PE teachers can influence students’ engagement in leisure-time physical activity. The present study therefore examined the efficacy of an intervention aimed at increasing PE teachers’ autonomy support on students’ leisure-time physical activity (the PETALS trial). The intervention was guided by the trans-contextual model (TCM) explaining the processes by which PE teachers’ provision of autonomy support during PE promotes students’ motivation and engagement in physical activity in their leisure time. Methods The study adopted a cluster-randomized, waitlist control intervention design with randomization by school. Participants were PE teachers (N = 29, 44.83%female; M age = 42.83, SD = 9.53yrs) and their lower secondary school students (N = 502, 43.82%female; M age = 14.52, SD = 0.71yrs). We measured TCM constructs, including perceived autonomy support, autonomous motivation in PE and leisure time, beliefs and intentions towards leisure-time physical activity, and physical activity behavior at baseline, post-intervention, and at one-, three-, and six-months. Study hypotheses were tested through a series of ANOVAs and structural equation models using post-intervention and one-month follow-up data. Results We found no changes in TCM constructs or physical activity behavior in either group at post-intervention or at one month. Path analyses supported two propositions of the TCM as change variables: perceived autonomy support had a significant effect on autonomous motivation in PE and autonomous motivation in PE had a significant effect on autonomous motivation in leisure time. Although we found a direct effect of autonomous motivation in leisure time on physical activity, we did not find support for the third premise of the TCM that autonomous motivation in leisure time indirectly affects physical activity through beliefs and intentions. Conclusions Current findings did not support the efficacy of the PETALS intervention at changing physical activity behavior and TCM constructs. More research is required to determine whether the TCM predictive validity is supported when other model variables are manipulated through experimental and intervention studies. Trial registration: ISRCTN, ISRCTN39374060. Registered 19 July 2018, https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN39374060

scholarly journals Testing a physical education-delivered autonomy supportive intervention to promote leisure-time physical activity in lower secondary school students: the PETALS trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jekaterina Schneider ◽  
Juho Polet ◽  
Mary Hassandra ◽  
Taru Lintunen ◽  
Arto Laukkanen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Autonomy Support ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Activity Behavior ◽  
Autonomous Motivation ◽  
School Students ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Activity Behavior ◽  
Perceived Autonomy Support

Abstract Background Inadequate physical activity in young people is associated with several physical and mental health concerns. Physical education (PE) is a potentially viable existing network for promoting physical activity in this population. However, little research has been conducted on whether PE teachers can influence students’ engagement in leisure-time physical activity. The present study therefore examined the efficacy of an intervention aimed at increasing PE teachers’ autonomy support on students’ leisure-time physical activity (the PETALS trial). The intervention was guided by the trans-contextual model (TCM) explaining the processes by which PE teachers’ provision of autonomy support during PE promotes students’ motivation and engagement in physical activity in their leisure time. Methods The study adopted a cluster-randomized, waitlist control intervention design with randomization by school. Participants were PE teachers (N = 29, 44.83%female; M age = 42.83, SD = 9.53 yrs) and their lower secondary school students (N = 502, 43.82%female; M age = 14.52, SD = 0.71 yrs). We measured TCM constructs, including perceived autonomy support, autonomous motivation in PE and leisure time, beliefs and intentions towards leisure-time physical activity, and physical activity behavior at baseline, post-intervention, and at one-, three-, and six-months. Study hypotheses were tested through a series of ANOVAs and structural equation models using post-intervention and one-month follow-up data. Results We found no changes in TCM constructs or physical activity behavior in either group at post-intervention or at 1 month. Path analyses supported two propositions of the TCM as change variables: perceived autonomy support had a significant effect on autonomous motivation in PE and autonomous motivation in PE had a significant effect on autonomous motivation in leisure time. Although we found a direct effect of autonomous motivation in leisure time on physical activity, we did not find support for the third premise of the TCM that autonomous motivation in leisure time indirectly affects physical activity through beliefs and intentions. Conclusions Current findings did not support the efficacy of the PETALS intervention at changing physical activity behavior and TCM constructs. More research is required to determine whether the TCM predictive validity is supported when other model variables are manipulated through experimental and intervention studies. Trial registration ISRCTN, ISRCTN39374060. Registered 19 July 2018. Prospectively registered.

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