抄録
[Purpose] This study aimed to examine the relationship between physical fitness, academic achievement, and lifestyle in children, based on a comprehensive view of physical fitness and academic achievement. [Methods] The participants were 1213 children in the sixth grade (620 boys and 593 girls) from elementary schools. Records of their physical fitness, academic tests, and lifestyle habits were obtained from their respective schools. Deviation values for physical fitness and academic achievement were calculated from the results of eight tests and Japanese and arithmetic tests. In the analysis, the participants were classified into five groups based on a combination of high and low physical fitness and academic ability. Chi-square tests and residual analysis were conducted to evaluate the differences in lifestyle among the five groups of high and low physical fitness and high and low academic achievement. [Results and Discussion] Significant associations were found among the following items: exercise time, sleep time, breakfast, study plan, homework grade, class preparation/revision, and study time on weekdays. Detailed residual analysis of the results for exercise, study, and basic habits suggested that: high and low physical fitness were associated with exercise habits, high and low academic achievement were associated with the quantitative aspects of study habits, and high and low physical fitness and academic achievement were associated with the qualitative aspects of study habits and basic lifestyle habits. In particular, groups with low physical fitness and low academic achievement, in which both physical fitness and academic achievement were low, showed a marked disorganization of each habit. These results suggest that the promotion of physical activity and formation of basic habits may be useful in improving physical fitness in children with low levels of both physical fitness and academic achievement.
