Fit student, fit mind?

Study linking fitness, test scores coincides with bill that would boost physical education.
By Molly Bloom
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Students who are physically fit are more likely to pass state tests and attend school regularly, regardless of their race and family income levels, a study of 2.4 million Texas students by a Dallas medical research institute shows.

The nonprofit Cooper Institute's researchers also found that fit students are less likely to get in trouble at school.

State officials seized on the findings to push for more physical education and for incentive programs that would reward students for improving their fitness.

"Now, we have hard evidence that there is a link between fitness and academic success," Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, said at a news conference Monday. Nelson has introduced a bill that would increase school physical activity requirements for sixth- through eighth-graders from 30 minutes a day for four semesters to 30 minutes a day throughout middle school.

Gov. Rick Perry said he would include money in his budget for fitness incentive programs similar to workplace programs that offer gift certificates to employees who lose weight or quit smoking.

"The sooner we can apply these principles where they can make a difference, the better," Perry said.

The study findings are based on the results of cardiovascular fitness tests — a one-mile run or similar evaluation — given to third- through 12th-grade students during the 2007-08 school year. The tests were administered under a state law requiring schools to give a series of six fitness tests and report results to the state.

Cooper researchers analyzed data from 6,532 campuses, which represents about 75 percent of public schools in Texas.

Research has shown that children who are Hispanic or African American, or who come from low-income families tend to have higher levels of physical inactivity and obesity, putting them at higher risk of developing such health problems as diabetes and heart, joint and bone diseases.

Low-income students in Austin tend to be less fit than students from wealthier families. And Austin's Hispanic students tend to be less fit than students of other races, according to state data.

State figures also show that the scores of low-income, African American and Hispanic students lag behind those of students overall on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills.

But even after accounting for poverty, race and ethnicity, and for the relative sizes of various schools, Cooper researchers found a strong connection between the cardiovascular fitness of students and their TAKS performance. They also found connections between students' fitness levels and a school's average daily attendance.

Students with higher fitness levels were also less likely to be disciplined for drug, alcohol, violence and truancy violations.

Cooper researchers have submitted their study to the Journal of the American Medical Association for peer review and publication. Researchers said journal rules bar them from releasing a complete copy of the report until it is accepted or rejected for publication.

"Exercise is fertilizer for the brain," said Dr. Kenneth Cooper, founder and chairman of the institute. "Increased exercise improves cardiovascular health, and that helps the brain function more efficiently and enhances its ability to learn."

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/03/10/0310fitness.html