Abstract
AimTo evaluate the relationship between leisure-time activities at 11 years old and the incidence of school failures from 11 to 15 years in adolescents.MethodsThe sample comprised 4,090 adolescents from the 1993 Pelotas Birth Cohort, Brazil. The outcome was measured as the number of school failures from 11 to 15 years, based on reported information from cohort participants and their parents. The exposures were collected at 11 years old, as follows: reading; meeting friends; talking to parents; and dating.ResultsIn the group from 11 to 15 years old, 53.3% failed at school at least once. Meeting friends 4–7 times/week (RR = 1.15) and dating 1–3 times/week (RR = 1.22) were associated with high risk for school failure. Reading showed an inverse relationship with school failures (1–3 times/week RR = 0.83; 4–7 times/week RR = 0.71). Reading at least once a week could prevent around 16% of school failures.ConclusionThe context in which adolescents are inserted plays a relevant role in school performance. Understanding these factors may help to propose actions to reduce school failure rates even further.
Highlights
Education is a social process acting as a developmental factor for the country, promoting citizenship and reducing socioeconomic inequalities [1]
This study was financed in part by the Coordenacão de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nıvel Superior - Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001
The high rates of failure at school in Brazil, which represent a historical problem, are highlighted among the many difficulties faced by the educational process in the country [2,3,4]
Summary
Education is a social process acting as a developmental factor for the country, promoting citizenship and reducing socioeconomic inequalities [1]. The high rates of failure at school in Brazil, which represent a historical problem, are highlighted among the many difficulties faced by the educational process in the country [2,3,4]. According to a series of historical school census made available by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística [5], failure rates at the primary school level have been stable since 1999 and 2010 (10.4% a 10.3%). A growing body of evidence shows that the rise in school failure rates in the last year of primary school may bring about a higher risk for school dropouts and discontinue adolescents’ school life [6,7,8]
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