Association of School‐Based Physical Activity Opportunities, Socioeconomic Status, and Third‐Grade Reading

摘要

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Socioeconomic status (SES) is the most accurate predictor of academic performance in US schools. Third‐grade reading is highly predictive of high school graduation. Chronic physical activity (PA) is shown to improve cognition and academic performance. We hypothesized that school‐based PA opportunities (recess and physical education) would moderate the negative association between SES and third‐grade reading. METHODS Schools serving third‐grade students were surveyed (N = 1279) for minutes/week of PA opportunities. Allotted weekly PA time and achievement data from participating schools (N = 784) were recorded and analyzed. To test the moderator hypothesis, moderated multiple regression analysis was conducted. RESULTS The interaction of PA opportunities and SES explained a significant increase in variance in third‐grade reading (b = .053, p .001), thus moderating the relationship between SES and third‐grade reading. Further analysis showed that schools offering greater than 225 minutes/week of PA opportunities experienced a greater (+5%) moderating effect. CONCLUSION School‐based PA opportunities positively moderate the relationship between SES and third‐grade reading, and lowest SES schools experience greater moderating effects. Future research should consider PA opportunities as a moderator of the SES‐academic achievement relationship, and school policy makers should consider the influence that PA opportunities have on student achievement at varying SES levels.