STRAIGHT-A STUDENTS DISLIKE PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN ADOLESCENCE: MYTH OR TRUTH? THE AVENA, AFINOS AND UP&DOWN STUDIES.
OBJECTIVE
to examine if those adolescents who dislike physical education classes get better results on academic and cognitive performance than their peers.


METHODS
participants included 4 226 adolescents from the AVENA, AFINOS and UP&DOWN studies. Physical education enjoyment was assessed with a 7-point Likert scale. Cognitive performance in the AVENA study was assessed using the Spanish version of the SRA Test of Educational Ability. Academic performance in the AFINOS and UP&DOWN studies was assessed through Mathematics and Language grades and the average of both subjects.


RESULTS
in the AVENA study we found differences in verbal ability among girls who dislike physical education and their peers (P = 0.033). In the AFINOS study, boys who dislike physical education had higher scores in Language than their peers (P = 0.024). In the UP&DOWN study girls who disliked physical education had higher scores in Language and in the average of Language and Mathematics than their peers (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
in the AVENA and AFINOS studies adolescents who disliked physical education had similar results in cognitive and academic performance than their peers, but in the UP&DOWN study girls who disliked physical education showed higher results in academic performance than their peers.
Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid.. laura.cannadas@uam.es.
Laura
L
Cañadas
Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid.. irene.esteban@uam.es.
Irene
I
Esteban-Cornejo
Department of Physical Education and Sport. School of Sport Sciences. University of Granada, Granada.. fortega@ugr.es.
Francisco B
FB
Ortega
Institute of Food Science and Technology and Nutrition. Spanish National Research Council, Madrid.. sgomez@ictan.csic.es.
Sonia
S
Gomez-Martinez
School of Health Sciences and Sport. University of Zaragoza, Huesca.. joseant@unizar.es.
José Antonio
JA
Casajús
Department of Pediatrics, University of Cantabria, Santander.. mariajesuscabero@gmail.com.
María Jesús
MJ
Cabero
Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain.. mcalle@med.ucm.es.
Maria E
ME
Calle
Institute of Food Science and Technology and Nutrition. Spanish National Research Council, Madrid.. amarcos@ictan.csic.es.
Ascensión
A
Marcos
Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid.. oscar.veiga@uam.es.
Oscar L
OL
Veiga
Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid.. d.martinez@uam.es.
David
D
Martinez-Gomez
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D011159:Population Surveillance; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013334:Students