Time outdoors positively associates with academic performance: a school-based study with objective monitoring of outdoor time

BACKGROUND: To explore the relationship between outdoor time and academic performance among school-aged children. METHODS: This study was designed as a cross-sectional study. Data were derived from a school-based prospective children myopia intervention study (STORM). Outdoor time was recorded by self-developed algorithm-validated wristwatches in real-time and calculated as the cumulative average of 10 months. The academic performance was recorded and provided by the participating schools and further standardized. Other information was collected using an online standardized questionnaire. Mixed-effects model and B-Spline method were used to investigate the association between time spent on different types of daily activity, including outdoor activity and academic performance. RESULTS: A total of 3291 children with mean age 9.25 years were included in the final analysis. Overall, outdoor time was associated with academic performance in a non-linear manner; specifically, not exceeding 2.3 h per day, outdoor time was positively associated with academic performance; exceeding 2.3 h per day, this association became non-significant. Likewise, daily sleep duration and out-of-school learning time were associated with academic performance in a non-linear manner, resulting in turning points of 11.3 and 1.4 h per day, respectively. Separate analysis showed that outdoor time and sleep duration but not out-of-school learning time were positively associated with academic performance in Chinese, mathematics and English. CONCLUSION: Outdoor time, sleep duration and out-of-school learning time were associated with academic performance in a non-linear manner. Promotion of outdoor time may not negatively impact on academic performance. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Our study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT02980445). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-023-15532-y.