The Multivariate Physical Activity Signatures Associated With Self-Regulation, Executive Function, and Early Academic Learning in 3–5-Year-Old Children

Abstract

The evidence regarding associations between intensity-specific physical activity and cognitive and learning outcomes in preschoolers is inconsistent and limited by low sample sizes and analytical approaches that cannot handle the multicollinearity among multiple physical activity intensity variables. We aimed to determine the multivariate physical activity intensity signatures associated with self-regulation, executive function, and early academic learning in preschool children aged 3–5 years. A 711 Norwegian preschool children (mean age 4.6 years, 52% boys) provided valid data on physical activity (ActiGraph GT3X+), self-regulation, executive function, and early academic learning during 2019–2020. Multivariate pattern analysis was used to determine associations between uniaxial and triaxial intensity spectra (time spent in intensities from 0–99 to ≥15,000 counts per minute) and the outcomes in the total sample and in subgroups split by sex and age (median split). Uniaxial data led to the highest explained variances (R2) and were reported as the primary findings. We found significant association patterns between physical activity and numeracy (R2 = 4.28%) and inhibition (R2 = 1.48%) in the total sample. The associations with numeracy were negative for time spent sedentary (0–99 counts per minute) and positive for time spent in moderate to vigorous intensities (≥ 1,000 counts per minute). The associations with inhibition were positive for time spent sedentary (0–99 counts per minute) and in vigorous intensities (≥ 8,500 counts per minute) and negative for time spent in low to moderate intensities (100–3,499 counts per minute). Associations with numeracy were stronger in boys (R2 = 5.58%) and older children (R2 = 7.27%), and associations with inhibition were stronger in girls (R2 = 3.12%) and older children (R2 = 3.33%). In conclusion, we found weak associations with numeracy and inhibition across the physical activity intensity spectrum in preschool children.

Association between physical activity and self‐regulation in early childhood: A systematic review

“…80 MPA was also found to have mixed associations (negative for one aspect and no association with the other aspects) in one crosssectional study 65 and a positive association in another cross-sectional study. 80 Similarly, LPA was found to have a mixed 54,65 association in two cross-sectional studies, a negative 78 association in another, and no association in another. 80 Mixed findings were also reported for the associations between TPA (objectively assessed in all but two studies 44,60 ) and cognitive self-regulation (objectively assessed, 47,49,50,57,60,73 subjectively assessed, 58 and both objectively and subjectively assessed 44,71 ).…”

“…There was considerable heterogeneity in the study design, methods, analyses, and measures of the included studies. The 37 studies included samples from nine different countries including USA (n = 18), 16,29,[36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51] Canada (n = 9), [52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60] Australia (n = 5), [61][62][63][64][65] China (n = 5), [66][67][68][69][70] South Africa (n = 3), [71][72][73] Germany (n = 2), 74,75 Finland (n = 2), 76,77 the United Kingdom (n = 1), 78 and Spain (n = 1), 79 Brazil (n = 1). 80 The majority of studies (99%) were published within the last decade with only one study ...…”

“…80 The majority of studies (99%) were published within the last decade with only one study 47 being published in 2006. The included studies consisted of cross-sectional (n = 19), 29,37,38,43,51,54,[56][57][58]61,65,[71][72][73][76][77][78][79][80] longitudinal (n = 12), 29,37,44,48,53,55,59,60,[62][63][64]75 RCT (n = 5), 16,40,66,68,69 pre-post experimental with no control group (n = 5), 39,41,46,47,50 quasi-experimental (n = 4), 49,67,70,74 and experimental (n = 2) 42,45 design. Most studies (n = 37) included participants aged 3-5 years, seven studies inclu...…”

“…Cognitive self-regulation was assessed as inhibitory control (N = 21 [36][37][38]42,44,49,50,[52][53][54]57,60,62,67,68,70,72,77,78,80 studies), working memory (N = 19 [36][37][38]44,50,52,53,57,60,62,65,67,68,70,72,77,78,80 studies), cognitive flexibility (N = 14 36-38,42,44,52,62,65,67,68,70,72,78,80 studies), and attention (N = 9 45,47,49,50,58,69,73-75 studies) (Table 1). Seven studies assessed one aspect of cognitive self-regulation, seven studies assessed two aspects, and 14 studies assessed three aspects, but no study assessed all four aspects of cognitive self-regulation.…”

“…were reported (see Figure 2). PA was measured as light-intensity PA 36,45,53,54,62,65,78,80 (LPA; N = 8), moderate-intensity PA 62,65,80 (MPA; N = 3), moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA 36,37,45,49,[52][53][54]62,68,75,78 (MVPA; N = 11), vigorous-intensity PA 62,65,77,80 (VPA; N = 4), total PA 44,47,49,50,57,58,60,72,73 (TPA; N = 9), and sports participation 38 (N = 1). An additional five studies 42,67,69,70,74 included a PA Studies that reported that the associations were mediated by sex.…”