Twenty-Four-Hour Movement Guidelines Adherence and Academic Performance From Childhood to Adolescence

The 24-hr movement behaviour (24-hr MB) guidelines recommend engaging in sufficient daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, obtaining adequate sleep, and limiting recreational screen time, behaviours that may influence learning and school performance; yet, evidence linking adherence with academic performance is largely cross-sectional. Using data from the nationally representative Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (Kindergarten cohort; eligible baseline sample n = 4,463; analytic baseline sample n = 3,973), the study examined whether meeting all three 24-hr MB guideline components concurrently (hereafter, “adherence”) from the ages of 6–7 to 12–13 years was associated with performance on the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) across Years 3, 5, 7, and 9. Adherence was derived from time-use diaries at Waves 2 to 5 and linked to NAPLAN scale scores (0–1,000 scale) in reading, writing, spelling, grammar/punctuation, and numeracy. Structural nested mean models estimated via g-estimation were used to address measured time-varying confounding and to estimate cumulative and lead–lag associations. Each additional wave of adherence was associated with higher Year 9 scores in numeracy and reading (numeracy: 6.04 points; Bonferroni-adjusted 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.57, 10.37]; reading: 4.93 points; Bonferroni-adjusted 95% CI [0.53, 9.23]). Adherence measured at the exposure wave aligned with the next NAPLAN test occasion was associated with higher scores at the subsequent NAPLAN test in reading (5.44 points; Bonferroni-adjusted 95% CI [0.85, 10.22]). Health education efforts in schools and communities that promote adequate sleep, limit recreational screen time, and support daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity may help align child health promotion with literacy and numeracy goals.