Association between physical education, school-based physical activity, and academic performance: a systematic review

espanolIntroduccion: La asignacion de tiempo para la actividad fisica o la educacion fisica en escuelas a menudo se sustituye con otras clases, en un esfuerzo para incrementar el rendimiento academico de los ninos. Sin embargo, un numero creciente de estudios sugieren que la actividad fisica o no tiene algun efecto sobre la mejora del rendimiento academico. Objetivo: El objetivo de este manuscrito es realizar una revision sistematica de la evidencia sobre la asociacion entre la educacion fisica y la actividad fisica en la escuela, y el rendimiento academico. Diseno: Revision sistematica. Metodos: Se identificaron estudios a partir de busquedas en las bases de datos PubMed, Sportdiscus y Web of Science de 2000 a 2016. Se proyectaron los titulos y los resumenes de elegibilidad, se califico la calidad metodologica de los estudios y se extrajeron los datos. Las principales exposiciones fueron la educacion fisica o la actividad fisica en la escuela durante el horario escolar. Para el resultado principal, los estudios debian informar al menos una medida de rendimiento academico. Resultados: Un total de 12 articulos cumplieron los criterios de inclusion, cuatro de ellos eran de la seccion transversal, dos longitudinales, dos cuasi-experimental y cuatro estudios de intervencion. Siete articulos encontraron una asociacion positiva entre la educacion fisica o la actividad fisica en las escuelas y el rendimiento academico, en cuatro no se encontro ninguna asociacion y en uno se encontro una asociacion positiva para los estudiantes de 3er grado y una asociacion negativa para los estudiantes de 2do grado. Conclusion: En general, los resultados de la revision apoyan que la educacion fisica o la actividad fisica en la escuela se asocia positivamente con el rendimiento academico en los ninos. EnglishBackground: The time allocation for physical education school-based physical activity is often replaced with other classes in an effort to increase children’s academic performance. However, a growing body of literature suggests that physical activity either had no effect on academic performance or that it enhanced it. Objective: The purpose of this report is to perform a systematic review of the evidence on the associations between physical education and school-based physical activity, and academic performance. Design: Systematic review. Methods: Studies were identified through research of the PubMed, Sportdiscus, and Web of Science databases from 2000 through 2016. The titles and abstracts were screened for eligibility, the methodological quality of the studies was rated, and data was extracted. The main exposure was physical education or school-based physical activity. For the main outcome, studies had to report at least one academic performance measure. Results: A total of 12 articles met the inclusion criteria; four of them were cross-sectional, two longitudinal, two quasi-experimental and four interventional studies. Seven articles found a positive association between physical education or school-based physical activity and academic performance, four found no association and in one there was a positive association for 3rd grade students and a negative association for 2nd grade students. Conclusion: In general, results of the review support that physical education or school-based physical activity is positively associated with academic performance in children.