Mediating effects of motor performance, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour on the associations of adiposity and other cardiometabolic risk factors with academic achievement in children

ABSTRACT

We investigated the associations of cardiometabolic risk factors with academic achievement and whether motor performance, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, or sedentary behaviour mediated these associations. Altogether 175 children 6–8 years-of-age participated in the study. We assessed body fat percentage (BF%), waist circumference, insulin, glucose, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, leptin, alanine aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT). Reading fluency, reading comprehension, and arithmetic skills were assessed using standardized tests. Speed/agility, balance, and manual dexterity test results were used to calculate motor performance score and physical activity was assessed by combined heart rate and movement sensor and cardiorespiratory fitness by maximal cycle ergometer test. In boys, BF% was inversely associated with reading fluency (β = −0.262, P = 0.007) and reading comprehension (β = −0.216, P = 0.025). Motor performance mediated these associations. Leptin was inversely related to reading fluency (β = −0.272, P = 0.006) and reading comprehension (β = −0.287, P = 0.003). The inverse association of leptin with reading fluency was mediated by motor performance. In girls, GGT was inversely associated with reading fluency independent of confounders (β = −0.325, P = 0.007). The inverse association of BF% with academic achievement among boys was largely explained by motor performance. Leptin in boys and GGT in girls were inversely associated with academic achievement independent of confounding factors.

KEYWORDS:

• Children
• obesity
• metabolic syndrome
• fitness
• academic performance

Acknowledgments

This study was financially supported by grants from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health of Finland, the Ministry of Education and Culture of Finland, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Juho Vainio Foundation, the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation, the Foundation for Paediatric Research, the Paavo Nurmi Foundation, the Paulo Foundation, the Diabetes Research Foundation, the Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research, city of Kuopio, the Kuopio University Hospital (EVO-funding number 5031343) and the Research Committee of the Kuopio University Hospital Catchment Area (the State Research Funding), the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, the Sinikka and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation. The work of Dr. Haapala was part of the University of Jyväskylä profiling area of multidisciplinary brain research funded by Academy of Finland.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health of Finland, the Ministry of Education and Culture of Finland, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Juho Vainio Foundation, the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation, the Foundation for Paediatric Research, the Paavo Nurmi Foundation, the Paulo Foundation, the Diabetes Research Foundation, the Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research, city of Kuopio, the Kuopio University Hospital [EVO-funding number 5031343] and the Research Committee of the Kuopio University Hospital Catchment Area (the State Research Funding), the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, the Sinikka and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation.