@article{Vorapongsathorn_2021, title={A Longitudinal Study of the Relationship between Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement in Primary School Children}, volume={22}, url={https://he01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/JRTAN/article/view/245899}, abstractNote={<p>This study aimed to examine the causal relationship between physical fitness, distance run, and academic achievement of Mathematics and English of primary school children in grade 4-6 during three academic years, 2017-2019. A total of 170 fourth graders of the demonstration school of Ramkhamhaeng University was randomly selected to participated in a 3-years follow-up study. Registered-based academic achievement scores and physical fitness were assessed in the second semester of academic year 2017-2019. Distance run was measured with a maximal 1,200 meter run test having content validity and reliability of 0.825. The latent growth curve modeling was applied to analyze the causal relationship between a physical fitness and two subject achievements with gender as a covariate. The results revealed that gender and distance run had a significant influence on Mathematics and English scores of primary school children. An increase in distance run in each year resulted in a greater improvement in Mathematics (β<sub>F2 F4</sub> = -.48, p = .001) and in English scores (β<sub>F2 F6</sub>= -.32, p = .004). Boys had improvement in distance run higher than in girls (β<sub>G F2</sub> = -.20, p = .006). Effects of distance run on Mathematics achievement were stronger in boys (β<sub>G F4</sub> = -.26, p = .008) than in girls. Whereas effects of distance run on English scores were stronger in girls (β<sub>G F6</sub> = .12, p = .021) than in boys during three academic years. The findings indicated the importance of physical fitness which affects students’ academic achievements. The primary school administrators should support physical education teachers and a school health nurse to evaluate standard physical fitness including health examination continuously in primary school children in every academic year.</p>}, number={1}, journal={Journal of The Royal Thai Army Nurses}, author={Vorapongsathorn, Sureepun}, year={2021}, month={Apr.}, pages={412–421} }