Study: Extracurricular Activities Benefit Children’s Mental Health

Extracurricular activities (EA) are defined as “academic or non-academic activities… that occur outside of classroom time, are not part of the curriculum, do not involve a grade or academic credit, and participation is optional." While EA may sound like "nice to haves," they are actually much more than that and can contribute to the health and wellness of children and their caregivers. 

Researchers based in Los Angeles recently conducted a secondary analysis of the 2019 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH), a nationally representative sample of children and their caregivers. They used responses from caregivers of children aged 6 to 17. Weighted logistic regressions tested associations between EA and 1) child anxiety and/or depression diagnosis, 2) caregiver mental health and 3) parental aggravation, controlling for child, family, and neighborhood-level covariates. Interaction terms tested whether associations were moderated by child age, sex, and presence of physical, developmental, or behavioral condition. 

The analysis included a weighted sample of over 21,000 children and revealed disparities in which they were engaged in EA. EA participation was associated with lower odds of a 1) child being diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression; 2) caregiver reporting “fair/poor” mental health; and 3) caregiver reporting “usually/always” experiencing parental aggravation. 

The article recommends that local governments, schools, and community-based organizations (CBOs) develop intentional and thoughtful plans to increase funding and access to quality and inclusive EA programming through partnerships involving schools, parks and recreation departments, and CBOs to offer additional opportunities for children to participate in EA, regardless of background or health conditions.

Authors of the article include Jaime La Charite, MD, MPH,  James Macinko, PhD, MPH, Rebecca Hedrick, MD,  Mercedes Santoro, Ed.D., and Rebecca Dudovitz, MD.

For details about this study, please read the source article.