Predictors of Academic Performance in High School Students: The Longitudinal ASAP Study

International Journal of Exercise Science 15(4): 616-631, 2022. Academic performance is influenced by multitude factors. However, little is known about their relative importance and how they evolve over time. The purpose of the present study was to determine the relative importance of cognitive control, physical, psychological and sociological factors as well as lifestyle habits in predicting academic performance in high school students using cross sectional and longitudinal approaches. One hundred and eighty-five grade seventh to ninth students (mean age: 13.1 ± 1.0 years old) from a single high school completed a 3-year prospective study. Academic performance, cognitive control, physical, psychological and sociological factors as well as lifestyle habits were assessed every year during the 3-year study. Results showed that different combinations of factors were found to predict academic performance measures in both male and female students at baseline and after a 3-year period. For example, in female students, screen time and VO2 max were found to be important predictors of academic performance, whereas working memory was the only recurring factor in predicting academic performance in male students. Moreover, our models were able to explain between 6.1 to 52.2% of the variation in the change of the different measures of academic performance. Results of the present study show that academic performance may be predicted by a wide range of multiple factors in high school students. Indeed, the factors that predicted academic performance varied between school subjects, sex and study design, highlighting the complexity of predicting academic performance in high school students

Exploration du support social et de l'école auprès des jeunes durant la période de lockdown de la pandémie de COVID-19

editorial reviewedObjectives: This study aimed to explore social and school support for physical activity during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in adolescents, to investigate how those young people interacted with their school environment during the spring 2020 lockdown, and to examine how this could have impacted their practice of physical activity. This study also meant to provide an international perspective to these outcomes. Methods: Between December 2020 and March 2021, 2,948 Canadian and 1,356 Belgian high school students completed an online questionnaire assessing their perceived change in physical activity, their interaction with schools regarding physical activity, and the physical activity-related resources offered to them by their schools. Results: During the spring lockdown, most of the participants from both Canada and Belgium perceived a decrease in their practice of physical activity in comparison to prior to the spring lockdown, reporting important barriers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, significant decrease in the proportion of participants reporting a strong or a very strong support was observed during the spring lockdown for family, friends, community, and school. Finally, most of the participants indicated that they did not have contact with any of the school team members to discuss about physical activity during that period. Conclusion: Results of the present study describe a perceived decrease in adolescents physical activity levels an unsatisfactory overall picture of the social and school support provided to them during the spring 2020 lockdown, encouraging to take a step back and reflect on subsequent adapted strategies

Activité physique, temps d’écran et sommeil chez les adolescents belges et canadiens: le rôle de l’école lors du confinement lié à la COVID-19

Lors de la première vague de la pandémie de la COVID-19, plusieurs régions du monde ont imposé un confinement général à ses citoyens, forçant ainsi les écoles à fermer. C’est le cas notamment de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (Belgique) et de la région de de Montréal (Canada), où la poursuite de l’enseignement à distance a pris un certain temps à s’organiser. Dans ces deux régions, les écoles secondaires sont demeurées fermées de la mi-mars jusqu’aux vacances estivales, entraînant une diminution des contacts entre les élèves et leurs enseignants en éducation physique, en plus d’une diminution des opportunités de pratique d’activités physiques. Néanmoins, peu d’information existe concernant ce qui a été mis en place par les écoles secondaires durant cette période afin de promouvoir la pratique d’activités physiques des adolescents. Les objectifs de cette étude sont de : 1) documenter comment les écoles secondaires de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles et de Montréal ont promu l’adoption d’un mode de vie physiquement actif chez leurs élèves, et 2) comparer la pratique d’activités physiques, le temps d’écran et le sommeil de ces élèves lors de la période précédant le confinement avec la période du confinement. Près de 2000 élèves de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles ainsi que 2661 élèves de Montréal ont complété le questionnaire en ligne. Les résultats obtenus permettront de brosser un portrait des contacts réalisés entre le personnel scolaire et les élèves, des sujets abordés lors de ces prises de contact, des ressources proposées et de l’impact de ces ressources sur la pratique d’activités physiques des élèves, en plus d’évaluer les effets du confinement sur leur pratique d’activités physiques, leur temps d’écran et leur sommeil. Une analyse comparative entre la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles et la région de Montréal est également proposé afin d’exposer les différences et les similitudes vécues dans ces deux régions

COVID-19 Impact on Adolescent 24 h Movement Behaviors

This study aimed to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the 24 h movement behaviors of adolescents. This was conducted to capture their evolution from February to December 2020, as well as to explore the use of technology for physical activity purposes by adolescents as a strategy to increase their physical activity during the pandemic. Physical activity, recreational screen time, sleep duration, and sleep quality were self-reported by 2661 adolescents using an online questionnaire. Participants also indicated, in comparison with the previous winter (regular in-class learning), how their different movement behaviors changed during the following 2020 periods: (1) spring (school closures), (2) summer (school break), and (3) autumn (hybrid learning). Finally, information about the use of technology during physical activity was collected. Results show that the 24 h movement behaviors of the participants varied across the different periods, and these variations were consistent with the restrictive measures imposed by the government. It was also observed that the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep duration and quality peaked in autumn. Finally, participants’ physical activity levels were associated with the use of physical activity-related tools and applications. In conclusion, the restrictive measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the situation of the 24 h movement behaviors in adolescents, which has become critical

Relationship between academic performance with physical, psychosocial, lifestyle, and sociodemographic factors in female undergraduate students

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between physical, psychosocial, lifestyle and sociodemographic factors with academic performance in female undergraduate students. Methods: One hundred undergraduate female students from the Faculty of Science at the University of Quebec at Montreal participated in this study (mean age = 24.4 ± 4.6 years old). All participants provided their university transcript and had to complete at least 45 course credits from their bachelor degree. Body composition (DXA), handgrip strength, estimated maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) (Bruce Protocol) and blood pressure were measured. Participants also completed a questionnaire on their psychosocial, academic motivation, lifestyle and sociodemographic profile. Results: Significant correlations were observed between GPA with estimated VO2max (r = 0.32), intrinsic motivation toward knowledge (r = 0.23), intrinsic motivation toward accomplishment (r = 0.27) and external regulation (r = -0.30, P = 0.002). In addition, eating breakfast every morning and being an atheist was positively associated with academic performance (P < 0.05). Finally, a stepwise linear regression analysis showed that external regulation, intrinsic motivation toward accomplishment, VO2max levels and eating a daily breakfast explained 28.5 % of the variation in the GPA in our cohort. Conclusions: Results of the present study indicate that motivational, physical and lifestyle factors appear to be predictors of academic performance in female undergraduate students

Physical education at the heart of school learning fostering the adoption of a healthy and physically active lifestyle

peer reviewedL’éducation physique vit depuis plusieurs années une transformation importante quant au rôle qu’elle doit assumer à l’école. L’ensemble des rapports épidémiologiques internationaux sonnent l’alerte à propos du manque d’activité physique des jeunes, impactant considérablement leurs habitudes de vie en matière de pratique physique (Guthold et al., 2020). Ainsi, la promotion de la santé par l’éducation à la santé est devenue l’une des finalités prioritaires de l’éducation physique, se traduisant par le renforcement des interventions favorisant l’adoption d’un mode de vie sain et physiquement actif chez les élèves. Cet objectif constitue un champ de développement pédagogique relativement récent à l’échelle mondiale pour les enseignants en éducation physique, en raison d’un intérêt accru des diverses instances sociales, éducatives et politiques. L’objectif de ce chapitre est d’approfondir la contribution de l’éducation physique aux apprentissages scolaires favorisant l’adoption d’un mode de vie physiquement actif. Il est organisé en quatre sections : (1) la clarification des modalités d’inclusion du mode de vie sain et physiquement actif dans les programmes d’éducation physique ; (2) la définition et l’illustration de l’approche multidimensionnelle ; (3) la présentation des principales approches théoriques dans le maintien ou l’adoption d’un mode de vie sain et physiquement actif; 4) une réflexion quant aux stratégies de formation (initiale et continue) à mettre en œuvre

Religiosity and the wish of older adults for physician-assisted suicide

In industrialized countries, population ageing is associated with intense discussions on the issue of dying with dignity. Some countries have legalized assisted suicide and authorized physicians to provide the knowledge and/or means for suffering patients to end their life. The goal of this study was to ascertain if religiosity could be a predicting factor of older adults’ wish for physician-assisted suicide (PAS). A sample of 216 men and women over 60 years (M = 72.5) answered the following question: “Would you disagree or agree with assisted suicide for yourself if you were very sick and would die in the near future?” They also completed questionnaires on religiosity, ageism and death anxiety. A regression analysis showed that religiosity explained a significant (F(1211) = 19.62; p < 0.001) proportion (7.7%) of the variance in the wish for PAS (full model R2 = 0.17). Religiosity seems to reduce the likelihood that older adults would ask for PAS if they had a terminal illness, while ageism and death anxiety seemed to have the opposite effect. Health professionals and legislators must be aware that psychosocial and spiritual variables have an important influence on the wish for PAS