title: Executive Control Mediates the Association Between Aerobic Fitness and Emotion Regulation in Preadolescent Children.
abstract: This study evaluated direct and indirect associations between aerobic fitness, executive control, and emotion regulation among a community sample of preadolescent children.
  
  
  
  Two-hundred and seventy-eight children aged 8-12 years completed measures of aerobic fitness (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run) and executive control (Stroop Test). Parents completed questionnaires assessing child emotion regulation and executive control (Emotion Regulation Checklist; Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire). We evaluated associations between these constructs using structural equation modeling.
  
  
  
  Study findings supported a moderate direct association between childhood aerobic fitness and executive control, a strong direct negative association between executive control and emotion regulation, and a moderate indirect association between aerobic fitness and emotion regulation through executive control.
  
  
  
  These findings provide preliminary evidence that executive control functions as a mediator between aerobic fitness and emotion regulation and may help explain the mechanism by which aerobic exercise influences emotional well-being among preadolescent children.
authors.affiliation: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lott
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Chad D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Jensen
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004644:Emotions; D056344:Executive Function; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000523:psychology*; D013694:Temperament
keywords: aerobic fitness; emotion regulation; executive control