Conference Agenda

Background: Adolescence is a critical period for brain development and executive functions related to academic performance, yet evidence on whether school-based physical activity benefits cognition and achievement remain inconclusive. Therefore, we evaluated a multi-component school-based physical activity program to examine its effects on cognitive performance and academic grades.

Methods: This cluster-randomized trial implemented a 7-month school intervention adding three weekly hours split between (a) physical activities, (b) homework support with activity breaks, and (c) audiobook walks. Cognitive performance was measured with tasks for working memory, episodic memory, and perceptual speed, and grades in English, Swedish, and Mathematics. Effects were analyzed using hierarchical linear mixed-effects models.

Results: Thirty-four schools (14 intervention, 20 control; n = 1,014 students, mean age 14.3 years) participated. Student participation was over 80% of all sessions offered. The intervention improved perceptual speed (group difference 10.47, 95% CI 2.46–18.48, p = 0.011), particularly in boys, while girls showed a positive trend in episodic memory; no effects were seen for working memory. Grades increased in both groups, with a small advantage in Swedish grades for controls, but this was not supported in sensitivity analyses, no differences were found for English or Mathematics.

Conclusions: The intervention resulted in modest improvements in perceptual speed, but no effects on other cognitive outcomes or academic grades. Observed sex differences suggest differential responsiveness, underscoring the need for future research to examine how individual and contextual factors shape intervention effects.

Funding Source: Knowledge Foundation (grant no. 20210002), Skandia, Kamprad Foundation, Swedish ESF Council, SFO-V.