Physical activity improves attention/concentration of underserved school children

While the physiological benefits of physical activity (PA) are now widely recognized, little is known on the impact of PA on learning conditions which can, in turn, influence academic performance. Unfortunately, youth of lower socioeconomic status exhibit lower levels of PA and higher rates of school drop out. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to explore the impact of voluntary participation in a culturally-tailored 16 week PA program (FunAction) on five learning conditions in adolescents of a multiethnic and underserved high school of the Montreal region (Québec-Canada). The learning conditions targeted were: self-control, self-esteem, attention/concentration, social competence, and interethnic relationships. 8th grade (n=139; mean age: 13.8) and 7th grade (n=92; mean age: 12.5) students participated in the study. The 8th grade students (experimental group) were invited to participate, on a voluntary basis, in the FunAction program; the 7th grade students constituted the control group. Control and experimental groups completed a pre- and post-intervention questionnaire measuring their score on the five learning conditions. Control and experimental groups did not differ statistically at baseline for any of the five targeted learning conditions. Results showed that the attention/concentration scores significantly improved in the post-intervention test for the experimental group (F=5.43; p=0.021). Moreover, correlation analyses revealed that the improvement in the attention/concentration score was statistically associated with frequency of participation (r=0.235; p=0.008), this association was stronger for the boys than for the girls. Results show that culturally-tailored PA programs are a promising means to improve attention/concentration of adolescent boys from underserved multiethnic milieus.