Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Academic Performance in Finnish Children

PURPOSE: To determine the relationships between objectively measured and self-reported physical activity, sedentary behavior, and academic performance in Finnish children.

METHODS: Two hundred seventy-seven children from five schools in the Jyvaskyla school district in Finland (58% of the 475 eligible students; mean age 12.2 years; 56% girls) participated in the study in the spring of 2011. Self-reported physical activity and screen time were evaluated with questions used in the WHO Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Children’s physical activity and sedentary time were measured objectively by using an ActiGraph GT1M/GT3X accelerometer for seven consecutive days. A cut-off value of 2,296 counts per minute was used for moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and 100 counts per minute for sedentary time. Grade point averages were provided by the education services of the city of Jyvaskyla. The analysis of variance and linear regression analysis were used to analyze the relationships among physical activity, sedentary behavior, and academic performance.

RESULTS: Objectively measured MVPA (p=0.955) and sedentary time (p=0.285) were not associated with grade point average. However, self-reported MVPA had an inverse U-shaped curvilinear association with grade point average (p=0.001), and screen time had a linear negative association with grade point average (p=0.002), after adjusting for gender, children’s learning difficulties, the highest level of parental education, and amount of sleep.

CONCLUSION: In this study, self-reported physical activity was directly, and screen time inversely, associated with academic achievement. Objectively measured physical activity and sedentary time were not associated with academic achievement. Objective and subjective measures may reflect different constructs and contexts of physical activity and sedentary behavior in association with academic outcomes.