Introduction: Every society faces the challenge of neglecting happiness and cheerfulness, which can lead to an increase in mental health problems like anxiety and depression. Rhythmic exercise programs, where participants move to the beat of music and engage in rhythmic patterns, have been shown to improve motor skills and executive function in children. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of music during school physical education lessons on the executive functions of overweight or obese students.
Methods:This study employed an applied, quasi-experimental design. Eighty female students in grades four to six, aged nine to thirteen, voluntarily participated. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups: 1) regular exercise in schools without music, 2) regular exercise in schools with music, and 3) control group with no intervention (redundant group removed). Students completed the Barkley Executive Functions Questionnaire before the intervention. Following the pre-test, the experimental group participated in two 45-minute sessions per week of regular exercise and rhythmic games with music for eight weeks. The program incorporated eight rhythmic games designed with a progression of difficulty. Physical education teachers assisted with the music and poems used in the program. The students completed the Barkley Executive Functions Questionnaire again after the training program. Data analysis employed analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), correlated t-test, and Benferroni post hoc test. SPSS version 26 software was used for statistical analysis.
Results: Rhythmic exercise with music significantly improved the executive functions of female students (p ≤ 0.05). No significant improvements were observed in the other training groups (p ≥ 0.05).
Conclusion:These findings suggest that rhythmic exercise with music during physical education lessons in elementary schools can have a positive impact on students' executive functions.