A research group led by Professor Noriaki Morita of Hokkaido University of Education Iwamizawa investigated the long-term relationship between physical changes in junior high school students and academic performance. It was found to be related to the improvement of grades.
According to Hokkaido Kyoiku University, the research group followed up 197 junior high school students from grades 1 to 3, and analyzed changes in physique and grades in five subjects: physique and Japanese, social studies, mathematics, science, and English.Household income, parents' educational background, and after-school study time, which affect academic performance other than physical constitution, are removed by statistical methods.
As a result, academic performance improved as underweight children gained weight.Similarly, it was found that overweight children had a positive effect on their academic performance when they lost weight.The association between weight and academic performance is found in both boys and girls and applies to all five subjects.The research group believes that it is possible that academic performance will improve as lifestyles improve and the weight approaches the appropriate level.
In Asia, including Japan, there are many children who are not only overweight but also underweight.So far, studies in Western countries have shown that overweight has a negative effect on academic performance, but the relationship between underweight and academic performance has not been investigated.
Paper information:[Npj Science of Learning] Longitudinal relationship of favorable weight change to academic performance in children
