Examining the relationships among adolescent health behaviours, prefrontal function, and academic achievement using fNIRS

Fig. 1. MSIT control and interference trial examples (Bush et al., 2003). Note. Participants required to indicate which number differed from the other two using the keyboard. Target number are presented within the correct sequence (i.e., 2 is in the second position) during the control trials, and distractors were always “0.” During interference trials, the target numbers are not in sequence (i.e., 2 not in the second position) and distractors are other possible target numbers

Fig. 2. Regions of the prefrontal cortex corresponding to the 16 fNIRS channels. Note. Channels indicating lateral prefrontal region of interest outlined in red; channels indicating medial prefrontal region of interest outlined in yellow.

Fig. 3. Average a) OxyHb and b) DeoxyHb for interference and control blocks of the MSIT. Note. Interference blocks are represented in orange, and control blocks are represented in blue.

Fig. 4. Lifestyle behaviours predicting MSIT performance, controlling for age.

Fig. 5. Effect sizes for average active minutes predicting MSIT performance (% correct).

Fig. 6. Effect sizes for substance use predicting MSIT performance (% correct). Note. Age and gender-specific cut-offs were employed to define obesity categories as recommended by CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017).

Fig. 7. Multiple mediation model predicting Math grades from accelerometer-assessed active minutes of physical activity through brain health parameters, controlling for MSIT % correct responses.

Fig. 8. a) Heat map portraying F statistics for the effect of average active minutes on task-related change in OxyHb levels in each channel (yellow denotes significant effects; ρ =0.05) and b) anatomical position of significant effects (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article).

Fig. 9. Multiple mediation model predicting Math grades from self-reported substance use through brain health parameters, controlling for MSIT % correct responses.

Fig. 10. Multiple mediation model predicting English grades from accelerometer-assessed active minutes of physical activity through brain health parameters, controlling for MSIT % correct responses.

Fig. 11. Effect sizes for active minutes predicting MSIT SD. Note. Age and gender-specific cut-offs were employed to define obesity categories as recommended by CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017).