Explore the vast range of titles available.

Recent research suggests that the relative age of a student within a grade has a causal effect on educational achievement, and that this effect fades with the duration of schooling. In this study, we estimate the causal relative-age effect on track choice in Austria, a country where students are first tracked in grade 5 (at the age of 10 years), and again in grade 9. We find a strong positive relative-age effect on track choice in grades 5-8. The age effect persists beyond grade 8 for students from less-favorable socioeconomic backgrounds and students in urban areas.

Relative age effects (RAEs), where older children within an age-based group have better academic, sporting, self-concept and mental health outcomes than their younger peers, have been demonstrated in multiple countries. Australian research has found self-concept and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder RAEs, but academic RAEs have not been explored. This cross-sectional observational study investigated RAEs among Western Australian year 3, 5, 7 and 9 government school students who took a National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) test in Numeracy, Reading, Spelling, or Grammar and Punctuation in 2017. After adjusting for gender and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status, we found that among the 98% of students who were in their recommended school year, younger students were on average significantly outperformed by their older classmates in all tests. RAEs were strongest in year 3, and progressively weakened through years 5, 7 and 9. These results are consistent with international research. They also support the hypothesis that age-related immaturity of relatively young children disadvantages them in academic competition, but this decreases as the age difference becomes a smaller proportion of their lived years. We also examined the performance of the 2% of children who were outside their recommended year. Accelerated students on average significantly outperformed their older classmates. Delayed progress students performed significantly worse than their younger classmates. A likely explanation for this reverse RAE is that accelerated students are often promoted because they are high academic achievers and delayed children are held back because they are performing below expectations. [Author abstract]

What is particularly notable about the research on the relative age effect is how consistent the findings are, overall, across countries with very different school systems. The register-based nationwide dataset is also ideal for an analysis of possible sex effects: the lack of such an effect in the analyses by Arrhenius et al. is therefore convincing and suggests that the underlying reason for the observed relative age effects applies equally to both boys and girls. The relative age effect previously reported on ADHD is a solid observation, as shown by a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 large cohort and register studies, across many countries and continents (Holland & Sayal, ). [...]the relative age effect raises the issue of how to improve accuracy of diagnosis in borderline cases, and the importance of careful age-match comparisons.) The study by Arrhenius et al. () now shows that relative age effects emerge even for the diagnoses of specific learning disorders that are based on standardised, age-adjusted psychological tests.

Positive effects from sports are achieved primarily through physical activity, but secondary effects bring health benefits such as psychosocial and personal development and less alcohol consumption. Negative effects, such as the risk of failure, injuries, eating disorders, and burnout, are also apparent. Because physical activity is increasingly conducted in an organized manner, sport's role in society has become increasingly important over the years, not only for the individual but also for public health. In this paper, we intend to describe sport's physiological and psychosocial health benefits, stemming both from physical activity and from sport participation per se. This narrative review summarizes research and presents health-related data from Swedish authorities. It is discussed that our daily lives are becoming less physically active, while organized exercise and training increases. Average energy intake is increasing, creating an energy surplus, and thus, we are seeing an increasing number of people who are overweight, which is a strong contributor to health problems. Physical activity and exercise have significant positive effects in preventing or alleviating mental illness, including depressive symptoms and anxiety- or stress-related disease. In conclusion, sports can be evolving, if personal capacities, social situation, and biological and psychological maturation are taken into account. Evidence suggests a dose-response relationship such that being active, even to a modest level, is superior to being inactive or sedentary. Recommendations for healthy sports are summarized.

The relative age effect (RAE) has been found among youth elite athletes within a range of sports. However, the RAE has been studied to a lesser degree among youth non-elite athletes, and even less among school pupils attending sport specialisation programmes (SSPs). The aim of the present study was to investigate RAE, height, and weight, and compare Swedish lower secondary school and Norwegian upper secondary school pupils. Study 1 includes 156 lower secondary school athletes (95 boys and 61 girls) following an SSP in Sweden, while study 2 includes 111 upper secondary school athletes (81 boys and 30 girls) from two Norwegian schools. The RAE was found in both male groups, but only in Swedish girls. Furthermore, the relationship between birth month, height, and weight was found to be non-significant. These results indicate a vital RAE effect among youth non-elite athletes attending SSPs in both lower and upper secondary schools. (Autor).

Positive effects from sports are achieved primarily through physical activity, but secondary effects bring health benefits such as psychosocial and personal development and less alcohol consumption. Negative effects, such as the risk of failure, injuries, eating disorders, and burnout, are also apparent. Because physical activity is increasingly conducted in an organized manner, sport’s role in society has become increasingly important over the years, not only for the individual but also for public health. In this paper, we intend to describe sport’s physiological and psychosocial health benefits, stemming both from physical activity and from sport participation per se. This narrative review summarizes research and presents health-related data from Swedish authorities. It is discussed that our daily lives are becoming less physically active, while organized exercise and training increases. Average energy intake is increasing, creating an energy surplus, and thus, we are seeing an increasing number of people who are overweight, which is a strong contributor to health problems. Physical activity and exercise have significant positive effects in preventing or alleviating mental illness, including depressive symptoms and anxiety- or stress-related disease. In conclusion, sports can be evolving, if personal capacities, social situation, and biological and psychological maturation are taken into account. Evidence suggests a dose–response relationship such that being active, even to a modest level, is superior to being inactive or sedentary. Recommendations for healthy sports are summarized.

There is a growing international literature investigating the relationship between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and younger relative age within the school year, but results have been mixed. There are no published systematic reviews on this topic. This study aimed to systematically review the published studies on the relative age effect in ADHD. Systematic database searches of: Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, ERIC, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection and The Cochrane Library were conducted. Studies were selected which investigated the relative age effect in ADHD in children and adolescents. Twenty papers were included in the review. Sixteen (of 20) papers reported a significantly higher proportion of relatively younger children being diagnosed with ADHD and/or receiving medication for this. Meta-analyses involving 17 of these 20 papers revealed a modest relative age effect in countries with higher prescribing rates, risk ratio = 1.27 (95% CI 1.19–1.35) for receipt of medication. The relative age effect is well demonstrated in countries with known higher prescribing rates. Amongst other countries, there is also increasing evidence for the relative age effect, however, there is high heterogeneity amongst studies. Further research is needed to understand the possible reasons under-pinning the relative age effect and to inform attempts to reduce it.

This study aimed to explore the relevance of the relative age effect (RAE), maturity status and anthropometry, and their influence on coaches’ assessment of players’ performance, analyzing both genders and different types of academies (elite vs. non-elite). The sample included 603 soccer players (385 male), from the under 12 (U12), under 14 (U14) and under 16 (U16) categories, belonging to elite and nonelite teams. Coaches’ assessment of players’ performance, chronological age, anthropometric characteristics, maturity offset (MO) and peak height velocity (PHV) were registered. Our results showed that RAE was present in both genders within the elite, but not in the nonelite academies. Early maturity players were overrepresented in the male elite, but not in the female academies. No relationship was found between RAE and anthropometry in male elite academies. Male elite players showed better anthropometric characteristics than nonelite players, while this pattern of results was not found for female players. The coaches’ assessment on players’ current performance was not influenced by the chronological age nor anthropometry, but it was linked to the PHV. Coaches from nonelite academies rated better in current assessment of performance the taller players. Our findings suggest that maturity status and RAE play an independent and important role in the talent selection process.

Youngest students in their class, with birthdates just before the school entry cut-off date, are overrepresented among children receiving an Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis or medication for this. This is known as the relative age effect. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarises the evidence on the influence of relative age on ADHD symptoms, diagnosis and medication prescribing. As no review to date has investigated the association with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis, this is also examined. Following prospective registration with PROSPERO, we conducted a systematic review according to the PRISMA guidelines. We searched seven databases: Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, Web of Science Core Collection, ERIC, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, and Cochrane Library. Additional references were identified from manual search of retrieved reviews. We performed a meta-analysis of quantitative data. Thirty-two studies were included, thirty-one investigated ADHD and two ASD. Younger relative age was associated with ADHD diagnosis and medication, with relative risks of 1.38 (1.36–1.52 95% CI) and 1.28 (1.21–1.36 95% CI) respectively. However, risk estimates exhibited high heterogeneity. A relative age effect was observed for teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms but not for parent ratings. With regard to ASD, the youngest children in their school year were more likely to be diagnosed with ASD. This review confirms a relative age effect for ADHD diagnosis and prescribed ADHD medication and suggests that differences in teacher and parent ratings might contribute to this. Further research is needed on the possible association with ASD.