Sports Participation and Academic Performance in Primary School: A Cross-Sectional Study in Chinese Children

Yao Zhang; Jin Yan; Xiao Jin; Hongying Yang; Ying Zhang; Huijun Ma; Rui Ma

doi:10.3390/ijerph20043678

Sports Participation and Academic Performance in Primary School: A Cross-Sectional Study in Chinese Children

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Feb 19;20(4):3678. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20043678.

Authors

Yao Zhang¹, Jin Yan^{2

3}, Xiao Jin⁴, Hongying Yang⁵, Ying Zhang⁶, Huijun Ma⁷, Rui Ma⁸

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Sports and Health, Zhengzhou Shengda University, Zhengzhou 451191, China.
² Centre for Active Living and Learning, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
³ College of Human and Social Futures, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
⁴ Department of Physical Education, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin 300384, China.
⁵ Library of Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China.
⁶ School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
⁷ School of Physical Education, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China.
⁸ Postdoctoral Research Station in Public Administration, School of Physical Education, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated that the effect of sports participation on student health and academic performance is significant. However, the relationship between sports participation and academic performance in specific subjects (e.g., English) in the Chinese population is not clear, especially in primary schools. Therefore, the present cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between sports participation and academic performance in Chinese elementary schools.

Methods: All study participants were asked to self-report their sociodemographic factors (e.g., sex, grade, age), independence, and outcomes. Alongside that, a self-reported questionnaire was used to assess participation in sports and academic performance of three core subjects in China's schooling system (Chinese; math; English; from A to F, with A indicating the best academic performance). An ordered logistic regression, with an odds ratio (OR) at 95%CI confidence interval, was performed to examine the association between sports team participation and academic performance.

Results: The final analysis included 27,954 children aged 10-14. Children in the fifth and sixth grades accounted for 50.2% and 49.8%. Chinese, math, and English academic performance were positively correlated with participation in sports. Compared with students who never participate in sports, those students who participate in sports 1-3 times a month, 1-2 times a week, and 3 or more times a week, were more likely to achieve better grades. In terms of math, compared with students who never participate in sports, those students who participate in sports 1-3 times a month, 1-2 times a week, and 3 or more times a week, were more likely to achieve better grades. Regarding English, compared with students who never participate in sports, those students who participate in sports 1-3 times a month, 1-2 times a week, and 3 or more times a week, were more likely to achieve better grades.

Conclusions: Consistent with previous studies, the current study confirms the positive effect of sports participation on children's academic performance. For an academic-related outreach, gender-, grade- and area-specific strategies should be considered in future research.

Keywords: China; academic performance; children; primary school; sports participation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Academic Performance*
Child
Cross-Sectional Studies
East Asian People
Humans
Schools
Sports*

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Postdoctoral Research Start-up Project of Henan Province in 2021; Training Program for Young Backbone Teachers in Undergraduate Universities in Henan Province in 2021; National Social Science Foundation (20BTY104).