Physical Activity and Academic Achievement in Children

Greg Welk, Ph.D.Professor – Iowa State University

Scientific Director of FITNESSGRAM

Outline and Overview

• History and Progression of Research– Fitness and Academic Achievement:

Findings based on FITNESSGRAM Outcomes• Additional Evidence and Causal Mechanisms• Prominent Reports and Recommendations• Strategies for School Wellness Integration

Pioneering Studies

Early studies in the 80s and 90s focused

on whether extra time spend in PE detracted

from academic achievement

Formative Studies

Studies in the 90s and early 2000s started to demonstrate benefits of

physical activity on academic achievement

Confirming Studies

Studies in the late 2000s and on have confirmed

findings and provided causal evidence

FITNESS AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Early Findings from FITNESSGRAM Research

History of FITNESSGRAM

Launched in 1982 to support transition to health related fitness

Facilitated individualized reporting and feedback

Fitnessgram Scientific Advisory Board

Defining Feature of FITNESSGRAM

Personalized FITNESSGRAM reports for Parents and Children

• Advantages:• Education tool to

enhance instruction• Improved communication

to parents

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS FROM THE TEXAS YOUTH FITNESS STUDY

Background on Texas Youth Fitness Study

As part of SB 530 requirements, schools in Texas were required to complete fitness testing using the FITNESSGRAM test battery and to report data to the state

FITNESSGRAM Achievement% Achieving Cardiovascular Fitness Standard

by Level (Texas Youth Fitness Study)

Achievement of CV Fitness Standard by Grade Level

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20

40

60

80

100

Elementary Middle Senior

Females

Males

Texas Youth Fitness Study Papers in Supplement

Cooper KH. “Reflections on the Texas Youth Evaluation Project and Implications for the Future.” S79–S83. Cooper KH, Everett D, Meredith MD, Kloster J, Rathbone M, & Read K. “Texas Statewide Assessment of Youth

Fitness.” Sii–Siv. Corbin CB. “Texas Youth Fitness Study: A Commentary.” S75–S78. Greenleaf CA, Petrie TA, & Martin SB. “Psychological Variables as Predictors of Cardiorespiratory Fitness and

Body Composition of Middle School Students.” S65–S74. Martin SB, Ede, A, Morrow, JR, Jr, & Jackson, AW. “Statewide Physical Fitness Testing: Perspectives from the

Gym.” S31–S41. Morrow JR, Jr, Martin, SB, & Jackson, AW. “Reliability and Validity of the FITNESSGRAM®: Quality of Teacher

Collected Health-related Fitness Surveillance Data.” S24–S30. Morrow JR, Jr, Martin, SB, Welk, GJ, Zhu, W, & Meredith, MD. “Overview of the Texas Youth Fitness Study.”S1–

S5. Welk GJ, Jackson AW, Morrow JR, Jr, Haskell WH, Meredith MD, & Cooper KH. “The Association of Health-

Related Fitness With Indicators of Academic Performance in Texas Schools.” S16–S23. Welk GJ, Meredith MD, Ihmels M, & Seeger C. “Distribution of Health-Related Fitness in Texas Youth: A

Demographic and Geographic Analysis.” S6–S15. Zhu W, Boiarskaia EA, Welk GJ, & Meredith, MD. “Physical Education and School Contextual Factors Relating to

Students’ Achievement and Cross-Grade Differences in Aerobic Fitness and Obesity.” S53–S64. Zhu W, Welk GJ, Meredith MD, & Boiarskaia EA. “A Survey of Physical Education Programs and Policies in Texas

Schools.” S42–S52.

Consistent associations were found between fitness and various indicatorsPositive association between fitness and academic

achievementPositive associations between fitness and attendanceNegative associations between fitness and school

delinquency

Associations controlled for other social and demographic factors that influence academic outcomes

Texas Youth Fitness Study:Academic Achievement Study

Associations between Fitness and Academic Performance (TAKS)

Achievement in FITNESSGRAM is positively associated with academic achievementAssociations are higher for CV than for BMI.

Spearman correlations between % achieving HFZ and % achieving TAKS standards adjusted for SES, minority%, and school size

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CV Fitness BMI

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Associations between Fitness and School Attendance Rates

Achievement in FITNESSGRAM is positively associated with school attendance Associations are higher for CV than for BMI

Spearman correlations between % achieving HFZ and % attendance (PEIMS data) adjusted for SES, minority%, and school size

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CV Fitness BMI

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Associations between Fitness and Negative School Incidents

Achievement in FITNESSGRAM is negatively associated with school delinquency

Associations are higher for CV than for BMI

Spearman correlations between % achieving HFZ and % of negative “incidents” adjusted for SES, minority%, and school size. Note: Incidents reflects rate of school reports involving weapons, alcohol, drugs or truancy.

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0.00CV Fitness BMI

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Distribution of BMI Achievement by County

Counties were divided into tertiles based on BMI achievement

Green = lower BMIRed = higher BMI

Distribution of BMI Achievement AND TAKS Achievement by County

Counties with low or high levels of achievement in BMI also tended to corresponding low or high levels of achievement on TAKS.

Causality can’t be assumed but spatial associations are apparent.

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Summary of Findings

The results provide strong evidence to support the importance of physical activity and physical fitness for academic achievementStudy was the first to examine patterns across

a whole state using aggregated school level indicators that most directly relate to school outcomes

Findings are particularly noteworthy since statistical adjustments were made for SES, minority%, and school size which were often not controlled for in past studies.

Other Studies Based on Fitnessgram Outcomes

• Participants: 259 elementary students (Illinois)– ~78% Caucasian, 12% African American, 5% Asian– 3rd-5th grade

• Measures– Fitnessgram battery– Illinois Standards Achievement Test (math/reading)

• Results: – Aerobic fitness was positively related to achievement– BMI was negatively related to achievement

Chomitz et al., 2009

ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE AND EXPLORATION OF MECHANISMS

• Method: – Study evaluated on-task behavior following a six-week

intervention at one public school • Participants: 62 third-grade (N = 37) and fourth-grade students (N = 25) • Design: Pre-Post Design

• Intervention: – Energizers classroom-based activity program

• Measures:– On-task behavior was assessed with observations

from two researchers

Results

• Sample: N = 171 sedentary overweight 7-to 11-year-old children• Intervention: 13 weeks of aerobic exercise program (20 or 40

min) after school or a no exercise control condition (no after school program)

• Measures:– Executive function (Cognitive Assessment System)– Academic achievement (Reading & Math of Woodcock-

Johnson Test of Achievement)

Changes in Brain Activation Following Exercise Intervention

Adjusted for sex, parent education, baseline score, and race.

This is showing the dose response effects of the aerobic exercise program

Associations between Executive Function in Brain and Academic Achievement

• Procedure– Children did two separate cognitive testing sessions while

wearing ECG caps to monitor brain activity• 20 min moderate intensity treadmill walking (60-70% max HR)• Quite rest while seated in a chair on the same treadmill

• Results– Higher-performers, following exercise, maintained accuracy

and had no change in P3 amplitude compared to seated rest– Lower performers had improved accuracy and an increase in

P3 amplitude following exercise – Children with lower inhibitory control capacity may benefit

the most from a single bout of exercise

Further Images from Chuck Hillmans’s Group

Research/scan compliments of Dr. Chuck Hillman University of Illinois: Hillman, C.H., et al. (2009) The effect of acute treadmill walking on cognitive control and academic achievement in preadolescent children. Neuroscience. 159(3):1044-54.)

Dissemination of Findings on Exercise and Brain Activation

PROMINENT REPORTS AND STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION

CDC Summary Report

• Provided separate summaries of research in 4 different school contexts:– Physical education– Recess– Classroom– Extracurricular

CDC Review: Impact of PE

• Summarized 14 studies on impact of Physical Education

• 11 of the 14 studies found one or more positive associations between school-based physical education and indicators of academic performance;

CDC Review: Impact of Recess

• Summarized 16 studies– 8 observation studies– 6 intervention studies– 2 outcome studies

• All 8 observational studies found one or more positive associations between recess and indicators of cognitive skills, attitudes, and academic behavior; none of the studies found negative associations.

CDC Review: Impact of Classroom

• Summarized 9 studies on impact of short activity breaks in classrooms

• 8 of the 9 studies found positive associations between classroom-based physical activity and indicators of cognitive skills and attitudes, academic behavior, and academic achievement. None of the studies found negative associations.

CDC Review: Impact of Extracurricular PA

• Summarized 19 studies examined impact of extracurricular activities.

• All 19 studies examining the relationships between participation in extracurricular physical activities and academic performance found one or more positive associations.

CDC Review: Conclusions

• “There is substantial evidence that physical activity can help improve academic achievement, including grades and standardized test scores”

• “….physical activity can have an impact on cognitive skills and attitudes and academic behavior, all of which are important components of improved academic performance”

New Updates by ‘Active Living Research’ (Search Active Education)

CDC Manual

• Described concepts and guidelines for “Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programming” (aka CSPAP)

CDCCSPAP Guide

CDC CSPAP Model

IOM Report• Report brought

attention to importance of physical activity for education

• Described methods and models for integration

Key Concepts in the IOM Report

Key Concepts in the IOM Report

Designed to Move

• Provides links and evidence to support benefits of physical activity

• www.designedtomove.org

The Negative Spiral from Inactivity

The Positive Spiral from Activity

Summary

• The evidence is now clear!• Physical activity clearly

contributes to academic achievement (AND good health)

• Promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles requires a “total school approach”

Thanks for your Attention

Greg Welk – gwelk@iastate.edu