Academic performance and psychosocial functioning in European schoolchildren: the role of cardiorespiratory fitness and weight status
Background: Whether a high cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) can attenuate the potential detrimental effect of childhood obesity on academic performance and particularly psychosocial functioning remains unclear. Objectives: To analyze the academic performance/psychosocial functioning of schoolchildren...
| Autores: | , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión aceptada para publicación |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2022 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universidad Pública de Navarra |
| Repositorio: | Academica-e. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad Pública de Navarra |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:dnet:academicae__::a091346df61eb5a05e0834172a67617d |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/2454/56823 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Obesity Overweight Physical fitness Psychosocial problems Cognitive performance Academic achievement |
| Sumario: | Background: Whether a high cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) can attenuate the potential detrimental effect of childhood obesity on academic performance and particularly psychosocial functioning remains unclear. Objectives: To analyze the academic performance/psychosocial functioning of schoolchildren attending to their CRF and weight status. Methods: 470 schoolchildren (46% girls, 7±0yrs) from 20 schools in five European countries were categorized as (i) having overweight/obesity (n=113) or normal weight (n=357) attending to body mass index and (ii) ‘fit’ (n=282) or ‘unfit’ (n=188) based on 20-meter shuttle-run performance (CRF ≥ or < 42 ml·kg-1·min-1 [boys] and 35 ml·kg-1·min-1 [girls], respectively). Academic performance and psychosocial functioning were assessed using the grades attained in school subjects and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for parents, respectively. Results: Independent of their weight status, fit children showed a greater academic performance and psychosocial functioning than their peers who were unfit and overweight/obese. In fit children, academic performance and psychosocial functioning did not differ between the two weight status categories (normal weight or overweight/obesity). Conclusions: Children with a higher CRF show a greater performance achievement and psychosocial functioning regardless of their weight status, thereby supporting the ‘fat but fit’ paradox and reinforcing the importance of improving CRF in this population. |
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