Abstract
BackgroundCurrent guidelines suggest too little sleep, too little physical activity, and too much sedentary time are associated with poor health outcomes. These behaviours may also influence academic performance in school children. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between sleep, physical activity, or sedentary behaviours and academic performance in a school with a well-developed and integrated technology use and well-being program.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional survey of students (n = 934, Grades 5–12) in an Australian school with a bring-your-own device (tablet or laptop computer) policy. Students reported sleep, physical activity, and sedentary (screen and non-screen) behaviours. Academic performance was obtained from school records. Linear regressions were used to test the association between behaviours and academic performance outcomes.ResultsSeventy-four percent of students met sleep guidelines (9 to 11 h for children 5–13 years and 8 to 10 h for 14–17 year olds), 21% met physical activity guidelines (60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day), and 15% met screen time guidelines (no more than 2 h recreational screen time per day); only 2% met all three. There were no associations between meeting sleep guidelines and academic performance; however later weekend bedtimes were associated with poorer academic performance (− 3.4 points on the Average Academic Index, 95%CI: − 5.0, − 1.7, p < .001). There were no associations between meeting physical activity guidelines and academic performance. Meeting screen guidelines was associated with higher Average Academic Index (5.8, 95%CI: 3.6, 8.0, p < .001), Maths 7.9, 95%CI: 4.1, 11.6, p < .001) and English scores (3.8, 95%CI: 1.8, 5.8, p < .001) and higher time in sedentary behaviours was associated with poorer academic performance, including total sedentary behaviours in hrs/day (5.8 points on Average Academic Index, 95%CI: 3.6, 8.0, p < .001. Meeting at least two of the three behaviour guidelines was associated with better academic performance.ConclusionsSleep and sedentary behaviours were linked to academic performance. School communities should emphasize comprehensive wellness strategies to address multiple behaviours to maximize student health and academic success.
Highlights
Current guidelines suggest too little sleep, too little physical activity, and too much sedentary time are associated with poor health outcomes
Six children did not answer any of the technology questions and 96 children did not answer any of the non-screen sedentary behaviour questions
Total daily technology use greater than 3600 min per day (5 or more devices with max use of 12 h per day), purpose of screen use exceeding 60 h for any device (5 purposes with a max of 12 h per day) and total of non-screen sedentary activities greater than 3600 min per day (5 activities with max of 12 h per day) were considered to be implausible and those data were excluded for sedentary behaviour responses
Summary
Current guidelines suggest too little sleep, too little physical activity, and too much sedentary time are associated with poor health outcomes These behaviours may influence academic performance in school children. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between sleep, physical activity, or sedentary behaviours and academic performance in a school with a well-developed and integrated technology use and well-being program. Throughout their day, children participate in a wide variety of behaviours including sleeping, moderate-tovigorous physical activities such as running, and sedentary behaviours such as reading and watching television; both during and outside of school hours. Perhaps most important for children, these behaviours have been associated with poor educational outcomes [6, 7]
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