Does fitness make the grade? The relationship between elementary students’ physical fitness and academic grades

2016 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 302-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kent A Lorenz ◽  
Michalis Stylianou ◽  
Shannon Moore ◽  
Pamela Hodges Kulinna
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Aerobic Fitness ◽  
Ethnic Background ◽  
Percentile Rank ◽  
Fourth Grade Students ◽  
Fitness Measures ◽  
The Relationship

Background and Objective: Increased emphasis on academic outcomes has reduced the amount of time spent in physical education and other school physical activity opportunities in many schools in the USA. However, physical fitness is a positive predictor of academic performance on standardised tests, and students who perform better on fitness measures may earn higher grades. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between physical fitness and teacher-assigned grades in fourth-grade students and examine whether the relationship is moderated by body composition, gender or ethnic background. Design: Cross-sectional design. Students’ fitness levels were assessed mid-way through the spring semester, and their third-quarter grades were obtained from the schools. Participants and setting: Fourth-grade students ( N = 80; 38 female students; 65 non-Hispanic or Latino) from two elementary schools in the south-western USA. Method: Students completed physical fitness measures using standard procedures from the FITNESSGRAM protocol, and standardised teacher-assigned grades in reading, writing, mathematics, social studies and science were compiled. Linear regression and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were performed to examine the relationship between physical fitness measures and average grades, and examine whether differences in fitness and grades existed between gender, ethnic background and body mass index (BMI) percentile rank. Results: Aerobic fitness, as measured by the number of 20-m Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) laps completed, had a significant influence on reading, writing, mathematics and science grades. There were no significant interactions between aerobic fitness and ethnic background, gender or BMI percentile rank, meaning that aerobic fitness was the largest specific influence on average teacher-assigned grades. Conclusion: Positive associations exist between physical fitness and academic performance, suggesting activities that help children improve their physical fitness ought to be a central component of physical education and broader school physical activity programmes.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Relationship between AcademicPerformance and Physical Fitness Measures in California Schools

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangeeta Singh ◽  
Shari McMahan
Keyword(s):  
Physical Education ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Physical Education Teachers ◽  
California Standards Test ◽  
Science Scores ◽  
Fitness Measures ◽  
California Schools ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Academic Year

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between academic achievement and physical fitness in California schools. Data from the academic year 2004-2005 Fitnessgram were compared to reading, mathematics and science scores on the California Standards test (CST) of 253 elementary schools in the Orange County School District. Physical education teachers from the 10 lowest scoring and 10 highest scoring schools were interviewed regarding content of the physical education classes in their school. Simple correlation coefficients revealed a positive linear relationship between academic scores and physical fitness scores. The interview with the teachers revealed that most of the 10 lowest scoring schools did not have a designated physical education teacher. All of the 10 highest scoring schools had designated physical education teachers and followed the physical education guidelines recommended by the California Education Board.

Associations of Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement Among Illinois High School Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Marie Weemer ◽  
Olabode Ayodele
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
High School ◽  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
School Students ◽  
The Relationship

The health benefits of physical activity are empirically supported and well accepted. However, the relationship between physical activity, physical fitness, and academic performance remains to be clearly established. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement among a sample of Illinois high school students. Analyses were based on the 2016–2017 school year Archival Fitnessgram physical fitness test scores and cumulative GPAs of ninth- through twelfth-grade students (N = 371). Pearson correlation assessed the relationship between physical fitness and academic performance. Multiple linear regression predicted students’ academic achievement. There was a positive association between total fitness and academic achievement, although not statistically significant, r (369) = .002, p = .49. The regression prediction model was statistically significant (p < .001) and accounted for approximately 25% of the variance in academic achievement (R2 = .256, adjusted R2 = .246). Academic achievement was predicted by total number of absences and gender, and to a lesser extent by socio­economic status, the curl-up, and ethnicity. The findings of this study suggest a positive association between physical fitness and academic achievement. These results are potentially relevant to the development of future education policies. Thus, policy makers, school administrators, and educators must use the knowledge gained in this study, along with existing research, as evidence to emphasize the importance of the fitness–academic link, to further support the need for quality physical education curriculum and mandated physical fitness testing.

Classroom Teachers’ Leisure Physical Activity and Their Conduct of Physical Education

1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 126-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas L. McKenzie ◽  
Kathryn J. LaMaster ◽  
James F. Sallis ◽  
Simon J. Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Classroom Teachers ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
5Th Grade ◽  
Leisure Physical Activity

The relationship of classroom teachers’ leisure time physical activity and their conduct of physical education classes was investigated. Eighteen 4th- and 5th-grade teachers reported on their leisure physical activity and had their physical education classes observed systematically during 4 consecutive semesters. Correlational analyses confirmed that more active teachers taught physical education differently from those that were less active. Teachers who were more active provided students with increased physical fitness activities, and the teachers themselves spent more time promoting physical fitness during lessons. The study provides some support for the hypothesis that physically active teachers provide higher quality physical education.

scholarly journals The Relation between Aerobic Fitness, Muscular Fitness, and Obesity in Children from Three Countries at Different Stages of the Physical Activity Transition

ISRN Obesity ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Héroux ◽  
V. Onywera ◽  
M. S. Tremblay ◽  
K. B. Adamo ◽  
J. Lopez Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Composition ◽  
Waist Circumference ◽  
Aerobic Fitness ◽  
The Body ◽  
Muscular Fitness ◽  
Mexican Children ◽  
Prevalence Of Obesity ◽  
Fitness Measures ◽  
The Relationship

Background. The physical activity transition is contributing to an increase in childhood obesity and a decrease in fitness worldwide. This study compared body composition and fitness measures in children from three countries and examined intercountry differences in the relationship between these variables. Methods. Participants consisted of 736 Canadian, 193 Mexican, and 179 Kenyan children aged 9–13 years. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, triceps skinfolds, aerobic fitness, and muscular fitness were measured. Linear regression was used to examine associations between variables. Results. The prevalence of obesity was the highest in Mexican children (9.2% boys, 8.4% girls) and the lowest in Kenyan children (0.9% boys, 2.8% girls). Aerobic fitness (VO2max in mL/kg/min) was the highest in Kenyan children (50.2 boys, 46.7 girls) and the lowest in Canadian children (41.3 boys, 38.3 girls). Aerobic fitness was negatively associated with body composition measures irrespective of country and sex. Mexican children with low aerobic fitness had higher body composition measures than Canadian and Kenyan children. Muscular fitness was not associated with the body composition measures in Kenyan children but was a weak positive correlate of BMI and waist circumference in Canadian and Mexican children. Conclusion. The current study provides some evidence to support the physical activity transition hypothesis.

scholarly journals Physical Fitness as Part of the Health and Well-Being of Students Participating in Physical Education Lessons Indoors and Outdoors

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin Pasek ◽  
Mirosława Szark-Eckardt ◽  
Barbara Wilk ◽  
Jolanta Zuzda ◽  
Hanna Żukowska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Experimental Group

The analysis of existing information on physical activity and fitness as elements of health and well-being reveals that they are achieved particularly effectively in contact with nature. Physical education lessons outdoors, as a form of healthy training, have been performed in numerous countries for years, providing a response to the traditional indoor model of this kind of education. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the relationship between the participation of students in outdoor and indoor lesson activities and the change in their physical fitness. 220 students participated in an experimental study. The experimental group, which did exercise usually in open spaces, included 49 boys and 54 girls. The control group, which exercised inside school, consisted of 63 boys and 54 girls. The study period lasted two years and involved the fifth and sixth form of primary school. Experimental group subjects were 11.26 years old (±0.32) during the initial test, and the control group individuals were 11.28 years (±0.32). During the final test, the average ages of experimental group subjects was 12.96 years (±0.32), and 12.98 years (±0.32) in the control group. The International Physical Activity Test was applied in the study. The differences between the levels of particular components of physical fitness were not statistically significant during the initial measurement (p-values ranged from p = 0.340 to p = 0.884). After two years of outdoor physical education lessons, there was revealed a considerable increase in the speed, jumping ability, and aerobic endurance of the students. Statistically significant differences were observed in these three tests, including running speed (p = 0.001), legs power (p = 0.001), and endurance (p = 0.000). The findings encourage one to continue pedagogical experiments regarding physical activity in outdoor natural environments.

Evaluation of Physical Activity Measured via Accelerometry in Rural Fourth-Grade Children

2000 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 329-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda M. Lemura ◽  
Joseph Andreacci ◽  
Richelle Carlonas ◽  
Jodi M. Klebez ◽  
Sara Chelland
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Fourth Grade ◽  
The Body ◽  
Fat Percentage ◽  
The Relationship

Interest in the benefits of exercise has prompted increased research examining the relationship between physical activity and health status in adults. More recently, considerable research effort has been directed toward the role of physical activity in young children as a precursor to adult physical fitness. The purpose of this study was to estimate the relationship between physical activity measured via accelerometry and body mass index, body mass, body composition, and physical fitness in fourth-grade boys and girls during physical education lessons. 54 fourth-grade students in rural Pennsylvania (28 girls, M age 9.6, SD = .56; 26 boys, M age 9.5, SD = .51) were subjects. Girls were significantly less active during all lessons measured ( p<.001). The results of linear regression analyses indicated that physical activity was negatively associated with body mass index, body mass, and body fat percentage ( p< .05), and positively associated with physical fitness (V̇O2max) ( p<.01). These data indicate the need for curricular intervention to motívate girls to increase their activity during structured physical education lessons and demonstrate the efficacy of the body mass index as a screening tool within the schools.

scholarly journals Physical Activity and Psychological Well-Being: Testing Alternative Sociological Interpretations

1990 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
William McTeer ◽  
James E. Curtis
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Other ◽  
Positive Zero ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

This study examines the relationship between physical activity in sport and feelings of well-being, testing alternative interpretations of the relationship between these two variables. It was expected that there would be positive relationships between physical activity on the one hand and physical fitness, feelings of well-being, social interaction in the sport and exercise environment, and socioeconomic status on the other hand. It was also expected that physical fitness, social interaction, and socioeconomic status would be positively related to psychological well-being. Further, it was expected that any positive zero-order relationship of physical activity and well-being would be at least in part a result of the conjoint effects of the other variables. The analyses were conducted separately for the male and female subsamples of a large survey study of Canadian adults. The results, after controls, show a modest positive relationship of physical activity and well-being for males but no such relationship for females. The predicted independent effects of the control factors obtained for both males and females. Interpretations of the results are discussed.

Investigation of Aerobic and Muscular Fitness and Concussion Among Service Academy Cadets at the United States Air Force Academy: Results from the CARE Consortium

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn L Van Pelt ◽  
Laura Wolff ◽  
Darren E Campbell ◽  
Gerald McGinty ◽  
Michael Zupan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Aerobic Fitness ◽  
Recovery Time ◽  
The United States ◽  
Physical Fitness Test ◽  
Fitness Test ◽  
Recovery Duration ◽  
Concussion Recovery ◽  
Service Academy ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACT Introduction Concussion has become the signature injury facing the U.S. military. However, little is understood about the relationship between military fitness and concussion recovery. The current study examined the recoveries of cadets at a U.S. Service Academy to determine whether preinjury physical fitness improved recovery and whether recovery was associated with post-injury physical fitness measures. Methods Participants were enrolled in a longitudinal study of concussion. Aerobic Fitness Test (AFT) and Physical Fitness Test (PFT) data were used to estimate cadet fitness. Survival analysis evaluated significant estimators of concussion recovery time. Linear regression models were used to explore the relationship between recovery duration and change in physical fitness scores. Results Between 2014 and 2017, 307 (n = 70; 22.80% Women) cadets who had sustained a concussion were enrolled. Preinjury physical fitness was not significantly associated with recovery duration (P &gt; .05). Men and intercollegiate cadets took fewer days to reach recovery milestones. Compared to women, men had greater decrements in the Aerobic Fitness Test total score (P &lt; .05) and increased 1.5-mile time postconcussion (P &lt; .05). Women had greater decreases in push-ups postconcussion compared to males (P &lt; .05). There was a trend for a negative association between days until asymptomatic and change in the Physical Fitness Test score (P = .07). Conclusion Preconcussion physical fitness levels do not appear to impact concussion recovery time among a highly physically fit cohort. Possible methods to reduce the effect of symptom duration on strength-related physical fitness should be investigated along with evaluating reductions in strength as a possible mechanism for postconcussion injury risk.

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