Relationships between tennis experience, executive function, and self-regulation of dietary behaviour in children

Abstract

Physical inactivity and unbalanced dietary behaviour in childhood have become worldwide public health concerns. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between sports activity (tennis), executive functions, and dietary related self-regulation in children. Fifty-two participants (6–12 years old, 31 males and 21 females) were enrolled in regular tennis lessons prior to the study (mean ± SD = 3 ± 2 years). Executive functions and basic processing speed were evaluated using three tasks (the Stroop test, the 2-back task, and the Local-global task). Dietary behaviour (extent of dislike for food and ratio of eating disliked food) was evaluated using questionnaires. An established questionnaire available for use in clinical investigations, the Food Frequency Questionnaire based on food groups, was used to obtain a detailed assessment of food intake. Regression analyses demonstrated that tennis experience was positively associated with basic processing speed and executive functions. Furthermore, higher executive functions were related to a higher ratio of eating disliked food, while no such association was observed for basic processing speed. A higher ratio for eating disliked food was related to better dietary intake (i.e. larger vegetable intake). Structural equation modelling revealed that the model had an adequate fit to the data (χ2 = 3.05, p = .55, GFI = .98, AGFI = .92, RMSEA = .00). The model indicated the following cascade associations: tennis experience → executive functions → rate of eating disliked food → vegetable intake. This study implied that longer sports experience is associated with better dietary related self-regulation via higher executive functions.