Adolescents’ time-use and academic attainment: A longitudinal, compositional analysis in the Millennium Cohort Study

Maloney, Ciaran M. C., Atkin, Andrew J., Beaumont, Lee C., Dainty, Jack R. and Warburton, Victoria E. (2026) Adolescents’ time-use and academic attainment: A longitudinal, compositional analysis in the Millennium Cohort Study. PLoS One, 24 (1). ISSN 1932-6203

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Abstract

There is a lack of longitudinal evidence regarding the associations between 24-hour movement behaviours and academic attainment. Using the Millennium Cohort Study, we examined the association of time-use diary assessed movement behaviours at age 14 years with formal school examination results at age 16. Analytical samples for weekday and weekend analyses were n = 1644 and n = 1642, respectively (weekday sample at baseline: 54% female, 80% White British). Time-use diary data were used to derive six behavioural sets: (a) sleep; (b) physical activity; (c) electronic media; (d) school-related activities; (e) hobbies and socialising; and (f) domestic tasks, personal care, and work-related activities. The primary outcome was Attainment 8, a composite marker of overall academic attainment across a range of subjects devised by the Department for Education in England. Multivariable compositional isotemporal substitution models were used to estimate differences in Attainment 8 associated with reallocating time between behaviour sets. Predicted differences in Attainment 8 scores were statistically significant for all models (weekday and weekend) that simulated the addition or removal of sleep, with an increase in sleep duration associated with lower academic attainment. Reallocating 20 minutes to sleep from physical activity was associated with the largest reduction in Attainment 8 (β = −.81, 95%CI [−.87, −.76]), while comparable reallocations to physical activity from sleep were associated with enhanced Attainment 8 (β = .29, 95%CI [.24,.34]). Associations were largely consistent between week and weekend days but remained small in magnitude across all behaviour sets. Reallocations to sleep from any other behavioural set was adversely associated with academic attainment, while comparable increases in physical activity or hobbies were beneficially associated with academic attainment. Time-use during mid-adolescence may be associated with later academic attainment, but associations are behaviour-specific and small in magnitude, warranting further exploration prior to intervention development.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Data Availability: Data used in this study are from the Millennium Cohort Study and are available from the UK Data Service (https://datacatalogue.ukdataservice.ac.uk/?id=2000031) to registered users. Access to linked educational administrative data (National Pupil Database) requires an additional application due to data protection regulations and is conducted within a secure data environment. Researchers can access the data in the same manner as the authors; no special access privileges were granted. The datasets used are: University of London, Institute of Education, Centre for Longitudinal Studies. (2022). Millennium Cohort Study: Age 14, Sweep 6, 2015. [data collection]. 7th Edition. UK Data Service. SN: 8156, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-8156-7. University College London, UCL Institute of Education, Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Department for Education. (2024). Millennium Cohort Study: Linked Education Administrative Datasets (National Pupil Database), England: Secure Access. [data collection]. 3rd Edition. UK Data Service. SN: 8481, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-8481-3. University of London, Institute of Education, Centre for Longitudinal Studies. (2022). Millennium Cohort Study: Age 17, Sweep 7, 2018. [data collection]. 2nd Edition. UK Data Service. SN: 8682, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-8682-2.
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Education and Lifelong Learning Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Health Sciences Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Norwich Epidemiology Centre Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Norwich Epidemiology Centre Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Norwich Institute for Healthy Aging Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Health Promotion Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Public Health Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Sport, Health And Education
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	10 Apr 2026 15:30
Last Modified:	11 Apr 2026 00:22
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/102751
DOI:	10.1371/journal.pone.0346302

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