Promoting physical activity to improve student engagement in Thailand
Abstract Overview
Background: Students’ engagement (SE) is an important factor that causes students motivation and achievement towards learning. It prevents drop-out, increases feelings of dedication to learning, determination, belonging and participation in school activities such as playing sports. From research evidence, it is found that sufficient MVPA will improve students’ engagement.
Purpose: This research aimed to examine the association between sufficient MVPA to students’ engagement at school.
Methods: This study employed Thailand 2021 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth Survey and involved a total of 6,076 national representative samples aged 5–17 years. Given the Covid-19 restriction measures, data was collected by using on-screen face-to-face interviews, where the interviewer and respondents conversed in a real-time face-to-face interaction mediated by a screen (e.g., smartphone, tablet, laptop). PA was measured subjectively, whereas student’s engagement was assessed by adopting Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) criteria.
Results: Sufficient MVPA was positively associated with high students’ engagement. Students with sufficient MVPA are 1.259 times more likely to have higher engagement than their friends with insufficient MVPA. While students in rural areas were also had a higher engagement than their counterparts in urban areas (OR 1.308***), students in late secondary were less likely (OR 0.472***) to have high engagement compared to students in the lower grades.
Conclusions: Physical activities encourage students’ engagement through participations in various activities at schools. Therefore, schools should allocate and design a proper support for physical activities during the school day to encourage students’ engagement which further improve their academic outcomes.
Practical implications: The Whole of School approach policy maybe recommended to be implemented at schools because it improves both sufficient MVPA and encouraging students’ engagement.
Funding: Thai Health Promotion Foundation grant number 64-00-0173.
Additional Authors
Name: Nattaporn Nilwatta
Affiliation: 1 Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Salaya,Phutthamothon, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand. 2 Thailand Physical Activity Knowledge Development Centre (TPAK), Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Thailand
Presenting Author: yes
Name: Piyawat Katewongsa
Affiliation: 1 Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Salaya,Phutthamothon, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand. 2 Thailand Physical Activity Knowledge Development Centre (TPAK), Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Thailand
Presenting Author: no
Name: Dyah Anantalia Widyastari
Affiliation: 1 Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Salaya,Phutthamothon, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand. 2 Thailand Physical Activity Knowledge Development Centre (TPAK), Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Thailand
Presenting Author: no
Information
Study Type: Policy (e.g. policy or guideline development)
Subtheme: Mental Health
Population Group: Children, Adolescents
Setting: School, Family
Submitting Author
Nattaporn Nilwatta
PhD.Student
Thailand Physical Activity Knowledge Development Centre (TPAK), Institute of Population and Social Research, Mahidol University
Thailand
