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A Sustainable Swedish School Intervention with Extra Aerobic Exercise—Its Organization and Effects on Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement

Author

Listed:
  • Izabela Seger

    (Viksjö School, Järfälla Municipality, 177 80 Järfälla, Sweden)

  • Suzanne Lundvall

    (Department of Physical Activity and Health, Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, 114 33 Stockholm, Sweden
    Department of Food and Nutrition and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden)

  • Annika Eklund

    (Viksjö School, Järfälla Municipality, 177 80 Järfälla, Sweden)

  • Ali Jamshidpey

    (Viksjö School, Järfälla Municipality, 177 80 Järfälla, Sweden)

  • Johnny Takats

    (Department of Physical Activity and Health, Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, 114 33 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Cecilia Stålman

    (Department of Physical Activity and Health, Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, 114 33 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Anna Tidén

    (Department of Physical Activity and Health, Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, 114 33 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Eva A. Andersson

    (Department of Physical Activity and Health, Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, 114 33 Stockholm, Sweden
    Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Box 5626, 114 89 Stockholm, Sweden)

Abstract

A large majority of Swedish children do not reach the recommended daily activity level. Some, but not all, studies show that extra physical activity may have positive effects on children’s school performance, physical fitness and health. The present purpose was to offer pupils from the 7th to the 8th grade extra aerobic exercise led by physical education teachers and to evaluate the effects on aerobic fitness, muscle strength, school grades and health. The hypothesis was that extra aerobic exercise would improve physical fitness, school grades and health. In the two-year project, 122 pupils aged 13–14 years from three schools constituted an aerobic group with 30 min extra exercise sessions (≥70% maximal heart rate) twice weekly. A control group of 26 pupils was included. All 148 pupils also had regular 60 min physical education lessons (2/week). A moderate to large significant effect size (via partial eta-squared) of the interaction effect for the aerobic group compared to the control group over time was generally seen for aerobic fitness, the muscle strength test with push-ups, school grades in Swedish, English and physical education, and in average school grade for four school subjects combined, thus also including mathematics. Within the aerobic group, significant improvements were also shown for aerobic fitness, endurance and strength of abdominal and leg muscles, and the total physical test index during the two-year project. The control group showed no corresponding improvement in these parameters. Improvements in school grades were generally seen among both sexes in the aerobic group, whereas improvements in physical capacity were distinctly more pronounced among boys and seldom among girls. A similar pattern with significant improvement in several school grades was noted in all three intervention schools, although one of the schools had a distinctly larger proportion of children who immigrated to Sweden. The aerobic group showed significantly higher ratings (with a small to moderate effect size) on several questions about physical self-perception than the control group at the end of the 8th grade. This teacher-led school intervention generated a sustainable project with improvements in physical fitness and school grades. The project might act as an inspiration for other schools to increase physical activity to improve physical fitness and possibly school grades.

Suggested Citation

  • Izabela Seger & Suzanne Lundvall & Annika Eklund & Ali Jamshidpey & Johnny Takats & Cecilia Stålman & Anna Tidén & Eva A. Andersson, 2022. "A Sustainable Swedish School Intervention with Extra Aerobic Exercise—Its Organization and Effects on Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-32, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:5:p:2822-:d:760999
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Eren Uluoz & Turhan Toros & Emre Bulent Ogras & Cenk Temel & Cihat Korkmaz & Muzaffer Toprak Keskin & Ibrahim Efe Etiler, 2023. "The Impact of Sustainable Exercise and the Number of Pregnancies on Self-Efficacy, Self-Esteem, and Assertiveness Levels in Pregnant Women," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-11, June.
    2. Veronica Jägerbrink & Joakim Glaser & Anna Hafsteinsson Östenberg, 2022. "Extracurricular Pulse Activities in School: Students’ Attitudes and Experiences," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-11, November.

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