Abstract
BackgroundIntrospection into the factors that affect student success at higher education institutions has gained significant momentum in recent years. Teaching and learning has come under the spotlight with quality enhancement and teaching development funding focussing on student support, enhancing the student environment, and enhancing academics as teachers. Included in this are aspects that try to understand the student. An aspect that is not receiving attention is student health, specifically headaches which could impact student success. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of primary headaches on student academic, family and social life at one higher education institution in South Africa.MethodData was collected using a questionnaire based descriptive cross sectional survey. Multistage sampling using a ballot method allowed for sampling to obtain representation from across the institution. To achieve a 95 % confidence level, 384 students from across the university were invited to participate after informed consent. Data was analysed using Chi square tests at a probability of p < 0.05.ResultsMajority of the participants were undergraduates and non-smokers. Half of the population suffered from primary headaches. Headache sufferers experienced limited concentration due to an increased headache intensity during tests and/or the examination period. This negatively impacted on studying which was aggravated by consumption of caffeinated energy drinks, coffee and chocolate resulting in a less effective study session. Activities of daily living and participation in social events which usually leads to relaxation were neglected. Personal and emotional well-being was also negatively affected. Altered sleeping patterns and absence of study breaks also led to headaches.ConclusionHeadaches were found to impact on the students study and sleep patterns, their attention levels during lectures and their social and emotional life. Headaches negatively impacted on some participants leading to reduced focus on academic, family, social or leisure activities. Intensity of headaches increased during tests and examinations which could impact their success at University.
Highlights
Introspection into the factors that affect student success at higher education institutions has gained significant momentum in recent years
Headaches were found to impact on the students study and sleep patterns, their attention levels during lectures and their social and emotional life
Headaches negatively impacted on some participants leading to reduced focus on academic, family, social or leisure activities
Summary
Introspection into the factors that affect student success at higher education institutions has gained significant momentum in recent years. Teaching and learning has come under the spotlight with quality enhancement and teaching development funding focussing on student support, enhancing the student environment, and enhancing academics as teachers. In South Africa, significant strides have been made to improve student support, the student learning environment and the quality of the academics as teachers through the Quality Enhancement Project (QEP) (Council of Higher Education (CHE) 2016) and Teaching Development Grants (TDG) (Department of Higher Education and Training 2014). All of these focus on improving student success. Some headache sufferers reported missing as many as 3 days a week of lectures due to severe headaches which impacted their learning (Souza-e-Silva and Rocha-Filho 2011)
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