Universal Journal of Public Health Vol. 3(4), pp. 145 - 152
DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2015.030402
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The Influence of Aerobic Fitness on the Relationship between Academic Performance and Motor Proficiency

Ryan Alexander ^1,*, John A. Hay ¹, Jian Liu ¹, Brent E. Faught ¹, Joe Engemann ¹, John Cairney ^2
1 Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, Canada
² Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Canada

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To determine whether physical fitness mediates the relationship between academic performance and motor proficiency in children. Methods: The academic achievement of 1864 students (F:926, M:938, age 11.91 (SD:0.34) from the Niagara Region of Ontario was derived from the average of provincial standardized tests for reading, writing, and mathematics. The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Performance (short-form) determined motor proficiency. Fitness (peak oxygen uptake) was established with the 20-metre shuttle run multistage test. Results: Hierarchical linear modeling identified several significant predictors of academic performance. After controlling for age (p=0.7002), gender (p<0.0001), and parental education (p<0.0001), both motor proficiency (p<0.0001) and physical fitness (p=0.0004) remained significant. The addition of physical fitness to the model reduced the point estimate of motor proficiency from 0.004 to 0.003, a reduction of 25%. However, further examination of the 95% confidence intervals suggests that this reduction is not significant. Conclusions: These results suggest that aerobic fitness does not mediate the relationship between motor proficiency and academic performance. Both physical fitness and motor proficiency have independent roles in predicting academic performance.

KEYWORDS
Academic Performance, Physical Fitness, Physical Activity, Children, Motor Proficiency

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Ryan Alexander , John A. Hay , Jian Liu , Brent E. Faught , Joe Engemann , John Cairney , "The Influence of Aerobic Fitness on the Relationship between Academic Performance and Motor Proficiency," Universal Journal of Public Health, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 145 - 152, 2015. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2015.030402.

(b). APA Format:
Ryan Alexander , John A. Hay , Jian Liu , Brent E. Faught , Joe Engemann , John Cairney (2015). The Influence of Aerobic Fitness on the Relationship between Academic Performance and Motor Proficiency. Universal Journal of Public Health, 3(4), 145 - 152. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2015.030402.