AUTHOR=Hermassi Souhail , Hayes Lawrence D. , Sanal-Hayes Nilihan E. M. , Schwesig René 

TITLE=Differences in Health-Related Physical Fitness and Academic School Performance in Male Middle-School Students in Qatar: A Preliminary Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.791337

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2022.791337

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p>This study examined the differences in the level of physical fitness and academic performance among male middle-school children based on different body status categories. A total of 69 male children [age: 12.4 ± 0.7 years; body mass: 58.5 ± 7.2 kg; height: 1.62 ± 0.09 m; and body mass index (BMI): 22.4 ± 3.3 kg/m<sup>2</sup>] participated and were divided into BMI age-adjusted groups (i.e., lowest, middle, and highest BMI). Height, mass, BMI, stork test of static balance, 10 and 15 m sprint as an indicator for speed, hand-grip strength test, agility T-half test, medicine ball throw (MBT), and the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1) were assessed. School records were retrieved for grade point averages (GPA) of mathematics, science, and Arabic. We found significant group differences regarding anthropometric (height: <inline-formula><mml:math id="M1" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msubsup><mml:mi>η</mml:mi><mml:mtext>p</mml:mtext><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.24, mass: <inline-formula><mml:math id="M2" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msubsup><mml:mi>η</mml:mi><mml:mtext>p</mml:mtext><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.33, and BMI: <inline-formula><mml:math id="M3" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msubsup><mml:mi>η</mml:mi><mml:mtext>p</mml:mtext><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.66), physical (sprint 10 m: <inline-formula><mml:math id="M4" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msubsup><mml:mi>η</mml:mi><mml:mtext>p</mml:mtext><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.26), and academic (mathematics: <inline-formula><mml:math id="M5" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msubsup><mml:mi>η</mml:mi><mml:mtext>p</mml:mtext><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.19 and science: <inline-formula><mml:math id="M6" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msubsup><mml:mi>η</mml:mi><mml:mtext>p</mml:mtext><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.15) performance parameters. The largest difference (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001) was observed between the lowest and highest group for the 10 m sprint. All pairwise differences were between the lowest and highest BMI group or the lowest and middle BMI group. No relevant (<italic>r</italic> &gt; 0.5) correlation between parameters of different dimensions (e.g., anthropometric vs. physical performance parameters) was found. In conclusion, the highest BMI group exhibited similar physical and academic performances than the lowest group. Thus, these data emphasize the importance and appropriateness to engage young Qatari schoolchildren in physical activity as it associates with superior academic performance.</p>