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Cited by 15Children's Physical and Motor DevelopmentPhysical Activity and HealthDevelopmental and Educational Neuropsychology

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Physical Fitness, Executive Functions, and Academic Performance in Children and Youth: A Cross-Sectional Study

Open access
Fernandes, Valter, Silva, Arthur, Carvalho, Andrea, Ribeiro, Sidarta, Deslandes, Andrea·2024·Behavioral Sciences
DOI 10.3390/bs14111022PMC PMC11591446
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Abstract

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between physical fitness, executive function, and academic performance in children and adolescents. A total of 131 students (49% female) aged 10–15 years from a public school in Rio de Janeiro were assessed in executive functions (hearts and flowers, Corsi’s block, and digit span tasks), academic performance (Portuguese, reading, math, and overall school grade), physical tests (touch test disc, agility, lower limb and upper limb explosive strength), and anthropometric measurements. Regression results showed that the composite of sports-related fitness measures was the best predictor of executive functions (β = 0.472; t = −6.075 p < 0.001). Decision tree classifier analysis showed that the combination of factors that discriminated better and worse executive function groups were better performance in hand–eye coordination (TTD), math, and upper limb strength (ULEST). Sports-related fitness is significantly correlated with executive function. Hand–eye motor coordination has been identified as the most important predictor of improved cognitive outcomes, surpassing even academic skills. These findings should be considered in the design of physical activity programs in school settings, which may have a positive impact on child development, reflected in the reduction of academic and socioeconomic disparities.

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  • Physical activity is related to favorable academic outcomes by improving executive function, mental health, and classroom engagement.

    “These results are consistent with models proposing that PA is related to favorable academic outcomes by improving executive function, mental health, and classroom engagement (Diamond and Ling, 2019; Fernandes et al., 2024)”

    From Physical activity and academic performance in adolescents: a systematic review of intensity, frequency, and mediating factors (2026) · cites this paper as Fernandes et al., 2024

    The Introduction reports an indirect association between physical fitness and academic performance mediated by executive functions in a prior study; the Conclusions report a correlation between sport-related fitness and executive function in this cross-sectional study. Our copy does not establish that physical activity improves academic outcomes through mental health or classroom engagement, nor does this study test that causal pathway. No page numbers were provided for these passages. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Research works printed but not linked: 31

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Metadata

Authors
Fernandes, V., Silva, A., Carvalho, A., Ribeiro, S., & Deslandes, A.
Affiliations
  • Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
  • Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia, Rio de Janeiro 20081-312, RJ, Brazil
  • Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (BR)
  • Exercise Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22290-140, RJ, Brazil
ORCID
Venue
Behavioral Sciences
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2024-11-01
Volume
14
Issue
11
Pages
1022
ISSN
2076-328X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/bs14111022
PMC
PMC11591446
OpenAlex
W4403980149
Cited by
15
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 5
FWCI
7.42
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Behavioral Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Ministry of Sport of Brazil–MoS and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development—CNPq (445078/2023-5)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Children's Physical and Motor Development
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Physical Activity and Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
Keywords
physical fitness, executive function, academic performance, children and adolescents, eye-hand coordination, agility, explosive strength, Corsi blocks, digit span, school-based physical activity intervention, cognitive development

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