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Extended physical education in children aged 6–15 years was associated with improved academic achievement in boys
Author(s) -
Cöster ME,
Fritz J,
Karlsson C,
Rosengren BE,
Karlsson MK
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.14278
Subject(s) - medicine , academic achievement , pediatrics , demography , physical therapy , gerontology , developmental psychology , psychology , sociology
Aim Physical activity (PA) has been associated with enhanced cognition, brain development and concentration. This study evaluated whether increased physical education (PE) improved academic achievement. Methods We recruited 304 children (55% boys) from a Swedish school in Skane County in 1998–2002 when they were six to seven years of age and followed them through all nine mandatory school years. Their PE level was increased from 60 to 200 minutes per week, and their results were compared with 73 885 control children (51% boys) in the county who graduated in the same years and did the standard 60 minutes of PE per week. Their academic achievements were measured as their final grade scores and the proportion of students eligible for upper secondary school. Results The eligibility for further education increased in the intervention boys by 6.8 percentage points and the mean grade score by 12.1 points, while in the control group as a whole, the eligibility rate decreased by 0.7 percentage points and the mean grade score increased by 1.7 points. No changes in eligibility rates or mean grade scores were seen in the intervention girls. Conclusion Increasing weekly PE over nine years was associated with improved academic achievement in boys.