RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, FITNESS AND ATTENTION IN AN ADOLESCENT SAMPLE

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between physical activity, fitness and attention in a group of adolescents. 149 adolescents aged between 14 and 16 years old (M=15.05; SD =.77) took part in the study. The D-2 Test was used to analyse attention processes. Physical fitness was assessed with the horizontal jump test, the Course Navette test and the 5 x 10 metre sprint test. Analyses indicated higher scores on some measures of the D-2 test in participants who regularly did sports and significant relationships between fitness tests and measurements of attention, with oxygen consumption being the most relevant variable. The results obtained support the importance of physical activity in childhood and adolescence, suggesting that increased fitness may have positive implications on attention at this age.