TY - JOUR
T1 - Health and school outcomes during children's transition into adolescence
AU - Forrest, Christopher B.
AU - Bevans, Katherine B.
AU - Riley, Anne W.
AU - Crespo, Richard
AU - Louis, Thomas A.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development ( R01HD048850 ). The authors are grateful for the invaluable support and collaboration of our school district colleagues in Caroline County, MD, Dorchester County, MD, and Wayne County, WV. It is these education and health leaders who made this study possible.
PY - 2013/2
Y1 - 2013/2
N2 - Purpose: Normative biopsychosocial stressors that occur during entry into adolescence can affect school performance. As a set of resources for adapting to life's challenges, good health may buffer a child from these potentially harmful stressors. This study examined the associations between health (measured as well-being, functioning, symptoms, and chronic conditions) and school outcomes among children aged 9-13 years in 4th-8th grades. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 1,479 children from 34 schools followed from 2006 to 2008. Survey data were obtained from children and their parents, and school records were abstracted. Measures of child self-reported health were dichotomized to indicate presence of a health asset. Outcomes included attendance, grade point average, state achievement test scores, and child-reported school engagement and teacher connectedness. Results: Both the transition into middle school and puberty had independent negative influences on school outcomes. Chronic health conditions that affected children's functional status were associated with poorer academic achievement. The number of health assets that a child possessed was positively associated with school outcomes. Low levels of negative stress experiences and high physical comfort had positive effects on teacher connectedness, school engagement, and academic achievement, whereas bullying and bully victimization negatively affected these outcomes. Children with high life satisfaction were more connected with teachers, more engaged in schoolwork, and earned higher grades than those who were less satisfied. Conclusions: As children enter adolescence, good health may buffer them from the potentially negative effects of school and pubertal transitions on academic success.
AB - Purpose: Normative biopsychosocial stressors that occur during entry into adolescence can affect school performance. As a set of resources for adapting to life's challenges, good health may buffer a child from these potentially harmful stressors. This study examined the associations between health (measured as well-being, functioning, symptoms, and chronic conditions) and school outcomes among children aged 9-13 years in 4th-8th grades. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 1,479 children from 34 schools followed from 2006 to 2008. Survey data were obtained from children and their parents, and school records were abstracted. Measures of child self-reported health were dichotomized to indicate presence of a health asset. Outcomes included attendance, grade point average, state achievement test scores, and child-reported school engagement and teacher connectedness. Results: Both the transition into middle school and puberty had independent negative influences on school outcomes. Chronic health conditions that affected children's functional status were associated with poorer academic achievement. The number of health assets that a child possessed was positively associated with school outcomes. Low levels of negative stress experiences and high physical comfort had positive effects on teacher connectedness, school engagement, and academic achievement, whereas bullying and bully victimization negatively affected these outcomes. Children with high life satisfaction were more connected with teachers, more engaged in schoolwork, and earned higher grades than those who were less satisfied. Conclusions: As children enter adolescence, good health may buffer them from the potentially negative effects of school and pubertal transitions on academic success.
KW - Academic achievement
KW - Adolescence
KW - Bullying
KW - Children with special health care needs
KW - Health
KW - Middle childhood
KW - School performance
KW - Student engagement
KW - Subjective well-being
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84872597055&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84872597055&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.06.019
DO - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.06.019
M3 - Article
C2 - 23332483
AN - SCOPUS:84872597055
SN - 1054-139X
VL - 52
SP - 186
EP - 194
JO - Journal of Adolescent Health
JF - Journal of Adolescent Health
IS - 2
ER -