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Title: | Physical fitness and cognitive function among school–aged children in selected basic schools in the Ho Municipality of Ghana |
Authors: | Amenya, Priscilla Cecilia Akpene Annan, Reginald Adjetey Apprey, Charles Kpewou, Daniel Edem |
Keywords: | Physical fitness Cognition Academic performance School-aged children Ghana |
Issue Date: | 2021 |
Publisher: | Heliyon |
Citation: | Heliyon 7 (2021) e06324 |
Abstract: | Physical fitness is thought to promote cognitive function. Evidence about this is however lacking in the Ghanaian
context. This study aimed to investigate the association between physical fitness and cognitive function among
basic school children aged 8–13 years. A cross-sectional study involving 591 school children, recruited from 12
randomly selected public and private basic schools was conducted. Physical fitness tests were done using a fivetest battery (Fifty metre run, handgrip strength, sit-up, flexibility and standing board jump) following standardized procedures. Cognitive function test using the Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM) were
carried out. More girls (55%), children from 8-13 years old (49.1%) and public school children (66.1%) participated in the study. For fitness, boys performed better than girls in sit ups 3.4 2.2 (mean SD), p ¼ 0.012,
handgrip 4.3 2.0, p ¼ 0.001 and overall fitness 4.3 2.0, p ¼ 0.007. Children in public schools performed
significantly better in forward jump (p < 0.001) while those in private schools did better in 50m run (p < 0.001).
For cognition, 46.1% of participants had less than 50% of the total score. Cognitive test score varied for forward
jump and handgrip alone and not for sit ups, 50m run and overall score. Mean forward jump score was lowest in
poor cognition group (4.9 2.3), followed by good (5.3 2.2) and highest among excellent (5.5 2.3, p ¼
0.044) cognition group. Similar observation was made for handgrip. Cognition score and hand grip strength were
positively but weakly correlated. (r ¼ 0.132, p ¼ 0.026). Although handgrip strength (measuring muscular
strength) was significantly associated with cognitive function, this study found no significant association between
overall physical fitness and cognitive function. These results indicate that only some components of physical
fitness may be associated with cognitive function. This study is however correlational and one cannot infer
causality. |
Description: | An article published in Heliyon 7 (2021) e06324 |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/13541 |
Appears in Collections: | College of Science
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