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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Sports Act. Living
Sec. Physical Education and Pedagogy
Volume 6 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1366451

Cross-sectional association between frequency of vigorous physical activity and academic achievement in 214,808 adolescents

Provisionally accepted
Xiaohui Zhang Xiaohui Zhang 1*Danqing Zhang Danqing Zhang 2Xingyi Yang Xingyi Yang 2Sitong Chen Sitong Chen 3
  • 1 School of Physical Education, Suzhou University, Suzhou, China
  • 2 School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China
  • 3 Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Australia, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: This study explores the intricate link between vigorous physical activity and academic achievement in adolescents. By analyzing data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey, it seeks to understand how engaging in high-intensity physical activities influences academic achievement.Methods: A comprehensive cross-sectional analysis was conducted on a vast dataset comprising 214,808 adolescents aged 11, 13, and 15 years. The frequency of vigorous physical activity was determined through self-reports, while academic achievement was assessed based on students' selfperceptions, reflecting their understanding of teachers' evaluations of their academic performance.Results: Adolescents who reported engaging in vigorous physical activity daily were more likely to report higher academic achievement. This positive correlation was consistent across various demographic groups, including different age cohorts and both genders, indicating a universal benefit of regular vigorous physical activity on perceived academic success.The findings of this study underscore the significant role that regular vigorous physical activity plays in the academic lives of adolescents. The correlation between daily vigorous physical activity and enhanced self-reported academic achievement suggests that encouraging high-intensity physical activities in schools could be a key strategy in boosting educational outcomes.

    Keywords: physical activity, academic performance, Exercise, High intensity, Schoolchildren

    Received: 24 Jan 2024; Accepted: 25 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zhang, Zhang, Yang and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Xiaohui Zhang, School of Physical Education, Suzhou University, Suzhou, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.