title: Associations of Adiposity and Aerobic Fitness with Executive Function and Math Performance in Danish Adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the associations of adiposity and aerobic fitness with executive function and math performance in Danish adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional analyses were conducted with data on 525 adolescents attending sixth and seventh grades from 14 schools in the 5 main regions of Denmark. A modified Eriksen flanker task was used to assess inhibitory control, a key aspect of executive function. Academic performance was assessed by a customized math test. Aerobic fitness was assessed by an intermittent shuttle-run test (Andersen test).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Body mass index (BMI) was negatively associated with accuracy on incongruent trials during the flanker task (P = .005). A higher BMI was associated with a larger accuracy interference score (P = .01). Similarly, waist circumference (WC) was negatively associated with accuracy on incongruent trials (P = .008). A higher WC was associated with a larger reaction time (RT) interference score (P = .02) and accuracy interference score (P = .009). Higher aerobic fitness was associated with a faster RT on congruent trials (P = .009) and incongruent trials (P = .003). Higher aerobic fitness was associated with a smaller RT interference score (P = .04). Aerobic fitness was positively associated with math score (P < .001). BMI and WC were not associated with math score (P > .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that aerobic fitness is positively associated with both inhibitory control and math performance in adolescents. Adiposity is negatively associated with inhibitory control in adolescents. Adiposity is not associated with math performance.
authors.affiliation: Center of Research in Childhood Health, Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. Electronic address: thuang@health.sdu.dk.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Center of Research in Childhood Health, Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tarp
authors.affiliation: Center of Research in Childhood Health, Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Sidsel Louise
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Domazet
authors.affiliation: Center of Research in Childhood Health, Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Anne Kær
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Thorsen
authors.affiliation: Center of Research in Childhood Health, Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Froberg
authors.affiliation: Center of Research in Childhood Health, Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Lars Bo
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.affiliation: Center of Research in Childhood Health, Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bugge
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology*; D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark; D056344:Executive Function; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D009765:Obesity; D010809:Physical Fitness; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference