Exer-learning in a Low-Income Childcare Setting: Effects on Children’s Executive Function and Affect

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Low-income children are at disproportionate risk of low physical activity (PA) and school achievement. Exercise positively affects executive function (EF) and affect in children, priming the brain for learning academic content. However, little research exists in real-world settings, particularly regarding the robustness of exercise-induced EF and affect improvements after even brief engagement with electronic learning technologies. Purpose This study aimed to investigate changes in children’s EF and affect pre-/post-PA alone, versus pre-/post-PA followed by a tablet-based science, technology, engineering, and math learning (exer-learning) platform used in a low-income childcare setting, and to examine potential effect modification of PA’s association with EF by affect improvement. Methods Children (n = 19, ages 7–10 yr, 48% females) participated in a control condition (40 min of quiet reading) and two 40-min PA sessions, one immediately followed by 5–10 min of a tablet-based science, technology, engineering, and math lesson (PA + tablet). EF (Stroop test) and affect (Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children) were measured before and after all conditions. Children were randomly assigned to condition order. Relationships between condition and outcomes were assessed using mixed-effects linear regression. Results Relative to the control condition, participation in PA-only condition was associated with a 0.73-point improvement in EF (P = 0.71). Participation in PA + tablet resulted in a 3.52-point deterioration relative to the control condition (P = 0.08). Improvements of affect acted as a significant modifier of EF outcomes. Conclusions In a real-world setting serving children at risk of low PA and scholastic achievement, PA may prime children for learning by improving EF, but effects were not sustained. Ensuring children enjoy the physical activities used may facilitate EF improvements.