Physical Activity Participation Was Not Associated with Academic Performance in Ethnic Minority Students

Abstract

Regular physical activity (PA) participation improves physical fitness. However, it is generally perceived that PA hinders academic success. Such belief is not yet verified, especially in special population such as ethnic minority. PURPOSE: To examine the associations between PA level, academic performance, and physical fitness of ethnic minority students in Hong Kong (HK). METHODS: Seven hundred and eight ethnic minority (i.e., non-Chinese) adolescents studying at grade 7th to 11th of a low-income secondary school in HK participated in this study. English and math exam scores were collected at the end of academic year. Moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA from IPAQ), and health-related fitness (aerobic fitness, body composition, and muscular strength) were measured. Academic scores, PA level, and fitness measures were converted to age and gender specific standardized t-score for analysis. MVPA was further categorized into extra-active (MVPA≥840 minutes per week), active (420≤MVPA<840 minutes per week), and inactive (MVPA<420 minutes per week) for comparison. RESULTS: Only 22.54% of participants met the recommendation of 60-minute MVPA per day. MVPA yielded close-to-zero correlations with English, math, and composite academic scores. ANCOVA (age and gender as covariates) revealed no differences in academic scores between extra-active, active, and inactive groups. Logistics regression indicated that students being physically-active were unlikely to have lower academic performance as compared to the inactive counterparts (p>.05). Math generated weak but significantly positive correlations with aerobic fitness in boys (r=.123, p<.05) and sit-up in both genders (M: r=.111, F: r=.185, p<.05). Poor academic performance was found in low-fit group (p<.05). Higher adjusted odds of achieving better academic performance from being high level of muscular strength (OR=1.773, p<.05) was shown as compared to the low counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Among ethnic minority students in HK, academic performance seems unrelated to PA participation. However, high physical fitness level perhaps provides subtle association with academic success. To achieve academic success, there is insufficient evidence for educators and parents to discourage ethnic minority students from participating in regular PA.