title: Independent Associations of Organized Physical Activity and Weight Status with Children's Cognitive Functioning: A Matched-Pairs Design.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study tested whether participation in organized physical activity (active vs. inactive) or weight status (normal weight vs. overweight or obese) independently relate to children's cognition, using a matched-pairs design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Normal weight, active children (8-11 yrs, 5th-75th percentile BMI) were recruited from extracurricular physical activity programs while normal weight inactive (5th-75th percentile BMI) and overweight inactive children (BMI ≥85th percentile) were recruited from local Augusta, Georgia area schools. Measures included the Cognitive Assessment System, anthropometrics, and parent- and self-report of physical activity. Paired t tests compared cognition scores between matched groups of normal weight active vs. normal weight inactive (N = 24 pairs), normal weight inactive vs. overweight inactive (N = 21 pairs), and normal weight active vs. overweight inactive children (N = 16 pairs). Children in each comparison were matched for race, gender, age, and socioeconomic status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Normal weight active children had higher Planning (M± SD = 109 ± 11 vs. 100 ± 11, p = .011) and Attention scores (108 ± 11 vs. 100 ± 11, p = .013) than overweight inactive children. Normal weight inactive children had higher Attention scores than overweight inactive children (105 ± 13 vs. 93 ± 12, p = .008). When compared with normal weight inactive children, normal weight active children had higher Planning (113 ± 10 vs. 102 ± 13, p = .008) and marginally higher Attention scores (111 ± 11 vs. 104 ± 12, p = .06).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest independent associations of children's weight status with selective attention, and physical activity with higher-order processes of executive function.
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta GA.
authors.forename: Catherine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Joseph P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Tkacz
authors.forename: Phillip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Tomporowski
authors.forename: Eduardo E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Bustamante
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003615:Dancing / Q000502:physiology; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D056865:Ideal Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000503:physiopathology*; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology