Association between meeting 24-h movement guidelines and academic performance in a sample of 67,281 Chinese children and adolescents

This study aimed to explore the association between meeting 24-h movement guidelines and academic performance among Chinese children and adolescents. Cross-sectional data on 67,281 Chinese children and adolescents were used for the analyses. Adherence to 24-h movement guidelines and academic performance (i.e., grades in Chinese, Math, and English), as well as sociodemographic information, were measured using a self-reported questionnaire. 24-h movement guidelines recommend at least 60 min/day of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), no more than 2 h/day of recreational screen time (ST), and 9–11 h/night of sleep for ages 11–13 years or 8–10 h/night for ages 14–17 years. Multilevel generalized linear models were used to explore the associations between 24-h movement guidelines and academic performance. Results indicated that compared to not meeting any of the three 24-h movement guidelines, participants meeting one or more guidelines were more likely to report better academic performance in Chinese, Math, and English. Meeting all the three guidelines was associated with better academic performance in Chinese (odds ratio [OR] = 1.56), Math (OR = 1.51), and English (OR = 1.73). Additionally, meeting the physical activity (PA) guidelines only was associated with better academic performance in Chinese; meeting only the ST guidelines, both ST and sleep guidelines, and both ST and PA guidelines were associated with better academic performance in Chinese, Math, and English. Subgroup analyses indicated that the associations between 24-h movement guidelines and academic performance varied across grade groups and course subjects. As such, in general, adherence to 24-h movement guidelines was related to better self-reported academic performance. Healthy movement behaviors should be promoted for health and academic achievement in Chinese children and adolescents.