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Associations of physical activity and history of sports participation with subjective and objective measures of executive functioning in university students.

Madeline M DoucetteJuan Pablo Sánchez EscuderoRyan E RhodesMauricio A Garcia-Barrera
Published in: Journal of American college health : J of ACH (2024)
This study examined how physical activity and history of sports participation affect subjective and objective executive functioning in university students. A total of 215 university students aged 18-25 (81% female) completed a virtual assessment of executive function. The correlates were age, sex, physical activity, and history of sports participation. Structural equation modeling was used to examine objective executive function using a three-factor model (shifting, updating, inhibition). The Executive Function Index (EFI) was used to measure subjective executive functioning, and linear regression was used to examine total EFI scores. Physical activity ( b =  0.12, p  < .01) was a significant correlate of subjective but not objective executive functioning. Male sex and history of sports participation were significantly positively related to the objective measure of inhibition ( b  = 0.64, p  < .01; b  = 0.18, p  < .05). These findings suggest that subjective and objective measures of executive functioning should be differentiated when investigating their relationship with physical activity and history of sports participation.
Keyphrases
  • physical activity
  • sleep quality
  • working memory
  • body mass index
  • depressive symptoms
  • high school