The association of context-specific sitting time and physical activity intensity to working memory capacity and academic achievement in young adults.
To examine combined associations between self-reported context-specific sitting time (ST) and physical activity (PA) with working memory capacity (WMC) and academic achievement in a sample of Spanish adults.



Undergraduate students (n = 371; 21 years ± 3 years, 44% female) were recruited from University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia.



Participants completed a 54-item survey that assessed socio-demographic variables (e.g. age, gender, academic year), min/week of light (LPA), moderate (MPA) and vigorous (VPA) intensity PA (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), min/day of domain-specific ST (Last 7 days sedentary behavior questionnaire) and academic performance (grade point average). WMC was assessed through a multiple complex span task that included: Operation Span, Symmetry Span and Rotation Span. These tasks interleave a processing task with a short list of to-be-remembered items. General linear models-adjusted by PA, ST and gender-assessed combined associations between ST and PA with WMC and academic achievement.



Performing more than 3 h/week of MPA was related to increases in WMC (P < 0.001). However, PA was not associated with academic performance. More than 3 h seated on a weekend day while performing non-screen leisure activities were related to reduced WMC after adjusting for PA (P = 0.012). Similarly, >3 h/weekday spent seated in these sedentary activities or in leisure-forms of screen time were inversely associated with academic performance regardless of PA (P = 0.033; P = 0.048).



MPA may benefit working memory; however, specific domains of leisure-time sedentary behavior may have an unfavorable influence on working memory and academic performance regardless of time spent in PA.
Sport and Physical Activity Research Group and the Centre for Health and Social Care Research, Department of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.|Sport and Physical Activity Research Group and the Centre for Health and Social Care Research, Department of Health Sciences, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.
Mireia
M
Felez-Nobrega
Department of Psychology and the Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
Charles H
CH
Hillman
Sport and Physical Activity Research Group and the Centre for Health and Social Care Research, Department of Health Sciences, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.
Eva
E
Cirera
Sport and Physical Activity Research Group and the Centre for Health and Social Care Research, Department of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.
Anna
A
Puig-Ribera
D000076363:Academic Success; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult