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Health and Academic Achievement: Cumulative Effects of Health Assets on Standardized Test Scores Among Urban Youth in the United States
Author(s) -
Ickovics Jeannette R.,
CarrollScott Amy,
Peters Susan M.,
Schwartz Marlene,
GilstadHayden Kathryn,
McCaslin Catherine
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/josh.12117
Subject(s) - academic achievement , test (biology) , standardized test , body mass index , psychology , achievement test , gerontology , medicine , environmental health , medical education , mathematics education , paleontology , pathology , biology
BACKGROUND The Institute of Medicine (2012) concluded that we must “ strengthen schools as the heart of health .” To intervene for better outcomes in both health and academic achievement, identifying factors that impact children is essential. Study objectives are to (1) document associations between health assets and academic achievement, and (2) examine cumulative effects of these assets on academic achievement. METHODS Participants include 940 students (grades 5 and 6) from 12 schools randomly selected from an urban district. Data include physical assessments, fitness testing, surveys, and district records. Fourteen health indicators were gathered including physical health (eg, body mass index [ BMI ]), health behaviors (eg, meeting recommendations for fruit/vegetable consumption), family environment (eg, family meals), and psychological well‐being (eg, sleep quality). Data were collected 3‐6 months prior to standardized testing. RESULTS On average, students reported 7.1 health assets out of 14. Those with more health assets were more likely to be at goal for standardized tests (reading/writing/mathematics), and students with the most health assets were 2.2 times more likely to achieve goal compared with students with the fewest health assets (both p < .001). CONCLUSIONS Schools that utilize nontraditional instructional strategies to improve student health may also improve academic achievement, closing equity gaps in both health and academic achievement.