BackgroundThe aim of this study was to examine whether academic performance is associated with students' athletic ability in primary school.MethodsA 3-year follow-up study was conducted among 1,136 Chinese students. Sit-up and jump rope testers were used to measure 1-min sit-ups and 1-min jump ropes, respectively. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory were used to estimate sleep quality and depression levels. The end-of-semester examinations were used to evaluate students' academic performance during the follow-up period.ResultsAfter adjusting for confounders, the mean change in Chinese language performance for participants stratified by 1-min sit-ups at baseline was 0.35 (95% CI: −0.37 to 0.76) for level 1 (slowest), 0.52 (95% CI: −0.54 to 1.08) for level 2, and 1.72 (95% CI: 1.14 to 2.30) for level 3 (fastest) (P for trend = 0.003); the mean change in math scores was 0.28 (95% CI: −0.50 to 0.95) for level 1 (slowest), 0.95 (95% CI: 0.38 to 1.52) for level 2, and 1.41 (95% CI: 0.82 to 1.99) for level 3 (fastest) (P for trend = 0.048). The mean change in foreign language scores was −0.45 (95% CI: −0.99 to −0.93) for level 1 (slowest), −0.14 (95% CI: −0.44 to 0.41) for level 2, and 0.69 (95% CI: 0.25 to 1.13) for level 3 (fastest) (P for trend = 0.004). The mean change in Chinese language performance for participants stratified by 1-min jump ropes at the baseline was 0.30 (95% CI: −0.16 to 0.76) for level 1 (slowest), 1.09 (95% CI: 0.42 to 1.76) for level 2, and 1.74 (95% CI: 1.14 to 2.35) for level 3 (fastest) (P for trend = 0.001). The mean change in math scores was 0.41 (95% CI: −0.11 to 0.92) for level 1 (slowest), 1.44 (95% CI: 0.69 to 2.19) for level 2, and 1.43 (95% CI: 0.76 to 2.10) for level 3 (fastest) (P for trend = 0.019). The mean change in foreign language performance was −0.71 (95% CI: −1.08 to −0.33) for level 1 (slowest), 0.95 (95% CI: −0.40 to 1.50) for level 2, and 0.91 (95% CI: 0.41 to 1.41) for level 3 (fastest) (P for trend < 0.001).ConclusionThis study suggests that participation in jump rope and sit-up exercises may positively affect students' academic performance.

Background and AimsResearch on the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on psychosocial function in patients with pediatric-onset inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD) is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the psychological status of patients with PIBD before and during the pandemic, and the relationship between mental health and disease activity.MethodsThis study was a retrospective cohort study. Statistical analyses were performed to assess the relationship between demographic, clinical data and psychological data (questionnaires) of PIBD patients before and during the epidemic. The anxiety and depression emotional status of the guardians during the pandemic were evaluated.ResultsIn the PIBD follow-up cohort, 42 patients(male 61.9%) were included. Female with PIBD had lower pediatric quality of life inventory(PedsQL) scores (P = 0.007) and higher spence children's anxiety scale(SCAS) scores (P = 0.038) than male. The pandemic did not have a substantial impact on PedsQL, pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI), SCAS, or children's depression inventory(CDI) in patients with PIBD. The self-rating anxiety scale(SAS) score, anxiety rate, self-rating depression scale(SDS) score, and depression rate of PIBD guardians were significantly higher than those of healthy controls (SAS, P = 0.008; SDS, P = 0.001).ConclusionsFemale children with PIBD were more vulnerable to decreased QOL and increased anxiety than male children. The anxiety and depression status of PIBD guardians were significantly higher than those of healthy controls during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly affect quality of life(QOL), sleep, anxiety, or depressive mood of patients with PIBD in our study.