Examining the Relationship between Physical Activity and Student Achievement and Behavior: Results from a Three-Year Intervention

Dick M. Carpenter II^1, , Cheryl Kelly², Timothy K. Behrens³, Julaine Field¹, Carmen Luna² and Elizabeth Tucker¹

¹University of Colorado Colorado Springs

²Institute for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Colorado

³Northern Arizona University

Cite this paper:
Dick M. Carpenter II, Cheryl Kelly, Timothy K. Behrens, Julaine Field, Carmen Luna and Elizabeth Tucker. Examining the Relationship between Physical Activity and Student Achievement and Behavior: Results from a Three-Year Intervention. Journal of Physical Activity Research. 2018; 3(2):109-117. doi: 10.12691/jpar-3-2-8

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between physical activity (PA) levels and academic achievement and student behavior in schools that completed a three-year initiative to increase and improve PA for students. Using difference-in-difference and discontinuity analyses, we find schools that participated in a PA intervention saw greater academic achievement during the three years of PA programming as compared to non-participating schools. The significant effects of the intervention were realized during the first year of programming; subsequent years saw stable achievement but not significant growth. There did not, however, appear to be differences in maladaptive student behavior between schools based on participation in the PA intervention.

Keywords:
physical activity student achievement student discipline

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