Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/202800 
Year of Publication: 
2019
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 12454
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
This paper investigates whether encouraging children to become more physically active in their everyday life affects their primary school performance. We use data from a field quasi-experiment called the Active Living Program, which aimed to increase active modes of transportation to school and active play among 8- to 12-year-olds living in low socioeconomic status (SES) areas in the Netherlands. Difference-in-differences estimations reveal that while the interventions increase time spent on physical activity during school hours, they negatively affect school performance, especially among the worst-performing students. Further analyses reveal that increased restlessness during instruction time is a potential mechanism for this negative effect. Our results suggest that the commonly found positive effects of exercising or participating in sports on educational outcomes may not be generalizable to physical activity in everyday life. Policymakers and educators who seek to increase physical activity in everyday life need to weigh the health and well-being benefits against the probability of increasing inequality in school performance.
Subjects: 
education
field quasi-experiment
health behavior
physical activity
JEL: 
I12
C93
I20
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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