Intervention studies show stronger physical-activity effects on children's cognition than correlational studies¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2018 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Across attention, thinking, and language, correlational and associational studies showed much weaker effects than studies which included interventions. → Bidzan-Bluma Ilona 2018

Evidence¶

Bidzan-Bluma Ilona 2018¶

Bidzan-Bluma Ilona, Lipowska Małgorzata. (2018). Physical Activity and Cognitive Functioning of Children: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15040800

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review's synthesis of its 58 included studies states that interventions "are effective" with only two studies not confirming the positive influence, and that the relationship is "stronger, and the effect size is larger" for interventions. No numeric effect size is printed.

"Notably, almost all studies indicate that the interventions (of various kinds, e.g., a short physical activity break, aerobic exercise, or afterschool physical activity program) are effective (with the exception of two studies, which do not confirm this positive influence of physical activity on cognitive functioning [31,32]), which is implied by the fact that the relationship between the physical activity and cognitive functioning (independently of its dimension) is stronger, and the effect size is larger."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• A 9-month afterschool physical activity program improved cardiorespiratory fitness and the cognitive control of working memory, with ERP evidence of more effective cognitive control — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Physical activity, including brief aerobic exercise sessions, improves children's selective attention — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Adolescents with high weekly physical exercise hours (more than 4 h/week) show significantly better selective attention, concentration, and processing speed than lower-exercise groups, with no differences between low and moderate groups — related
• Classroom physical activity increases children's on-task behaviour, with no consistent gain on attention or other cognitive tests — reports the opposite
• Physical activity is positively correlated with children's working memory, and integrated exercise with gestures yields the best preschool foreign-language vocabulary learning — related
• Small pilot studies provide preliminary evidence that exercise interventions improve behavioral symptoms and neuropsychological functioning in children with ADHD — related