Scheduled for Poster Session: The Impact of Physical Activity Across Society, Lifespans, and Cultures, Wednesday, April 9, 2008, 1:45 PM - 3:15 PM, Convention Center: Exhibit Hall, Reseach Consortium Poster Sessions


Children's Physical Activity Participation and Academic Performance

Joyce Chan, Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, Siu-Yin Cheung, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong and Jennifer Yuen-ming Mak, Marshall University, Huntington, WV

This study examined the relationship between children's physical activity participation and academic performance in Hong Kong. The participants were 976 children (Male=513, Female=463), age range was 9-14 years old, the average age was 10.99. The Physical activity questionnaire for children (PAQ-C) (Crocker et al., 1997) and the Perceived Physical Competence Scale (Kimiecik & Horn, 1998) were utilized to investigate children physical activity patterns. The academic performance was the average score of English, Chinese and Mathematics for the first semester of academic year 2006-2007. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations were utilized to analyze the data. 23.5 % Children did not often get involved in physical activity and only 11.2 % of them participated in physical activity everyday. The most popular activities were walking, tag, jogging, badminton, and skipping. Most children participated in physical activity on the weekend. Significant relationships were found between physical activity involvement and perceived physical competence score (r= -.329**); perceived physical competence score and academic performance (r = -. 150**), and physical activity involvement and academic performance (r = .117**). This study supports that children who participate in physical activity more, have higher academic results and higher perceived physical competence score. Physical educators and physical activity instructors should educate both parents and children the importance of physical activity and encourage them to participate in physical activity more.
Keyword(s): active participation, middle school issues, recreation

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