Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33941121›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2021

How are academic achievement and inhibitory control associated with physical fitness, soil-transmitted helminth infections, food insecurity and stunting among South African primary schoolchildren?

Markus Gerber, Christin Lang, Johanna Beckmann, Rosa du Randt, Stefanie Gall, Harald Seelig, Kurt Z Long, Sebastian Ludyga, Ivan Müller, Madeleine Nienaber and 5 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 27% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Markus GerberDepartment of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, St. Jakob-Turm, Birsstrasse 320B, 4052, Basel, Switzerland. markus.gerber@unibas.ch.
Christin LangDepartment of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, St. Jakob-Turm, Birsstrasse 320B, 4052, Basel, Switzerland.
Johanna BeckmannDepartment of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, St. Jakob-Turm, Birsstrasse 320B, 4052, Basel, Switzerland.
Rosa du RandtNelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Stefanie GallDepartment of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, St. Jakob-Turm, Birsstrasse 320B, 4052, Basel, Switzerland.
Harald SeeligDepartment of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, St. Jakob-Turm, Birsstrasse 320B, 4052, Basel, Switzerland.
Kurt Z LongNelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Sebastian LudygaDepartment of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, St. Jakob-Turm, Birsstrasse 320B, 4052, Basel, Switzerland.
Ivan MüllerDepartment of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, St. Jakob-Turm, Birsstrasse 320B, 4052, Basel, Switzerland.
Madeleine NienaberNelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Siphesihle NqwenisoNelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Uwe PühseDepartment of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, St. Jakob-Turm, Birsstrasse 320B, 4052, Basel, Switzerland.
Peter SteinmannNelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Jürg UtzingerUniversity of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Cheryl WalterNelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
University of Basel · CHNelson Mandela University · ZASwiss Tropical and Public Health Institute · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCardiovascular fitness has been associated with both executive function and academic achievement in multiple cohort studies including children and adolescents. However, research is scarce among children from low- and middle-income countries. Hence, this paper focuses on South African primary schoolchildren living in marginalized areas and examines if academic achievement and inhibitory control can be explained by children's age, socioeconomic status, soil-transmitted helminth infections, food insecurity, stunting, grip strength, and cardiorespiratory fitness.

methodsThe sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 1277 children (48% girls, mean age: 8.3 years). Data were assessed via questionnaires, stool samples, anthropometric measurements, 20 m shuttle run test, grip strength test, Flanker task, and school grades. Data were analysed with mixed linear regression models with random intercepts for school classes, separately for boys and girls.

resultsHigher socioeconomic status was most closely associated with academic achievement among boys (p < 0.05), whereas higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness and not being stunted explained most variance in academic achievement in girls (p < 0.05). Higher age turned out to be associated with better performance in the Flanker task (p < 0.01). Additionally, in boys, higher grip strength was associated with better information processing and inhibitory control of attention (p < 0.01), whereas in girls, higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels were positively associated with these cognitive abilities (p < 0.05).

conclusionsAcademic performance has been shown to be compromised in schoolchildren living in marginalised areas, compared to schoolchildren in less disadvantaged parts of South Africa. The present study suggests that cardiorespiratory fitness and grip strength are two potentially modifiable factors that are associated with children's academic achievement and cognitive performance, and that should be targeted in future school-based interventions.

Indexed as

Academic SuccessHelminthsAdolescentAnimalsChildCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleFood InsecurityGrowth DisordersHumansMalePhysical FitnessSoilSouth AfricaSoilExecutive functionsFitnessFood insecuritySoil-transmitted helminthsStunting

Identifiers

PMID33941121
PMCPMC8091717
OpenAlexW3159505432

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.