Abstract
BackgroundThis study aimed to examine differences in socio-demographics and health behaviour between Belgian first year university students who attended all final course exams and those who did not. Secondly, this study aimed to identify weight and health behaviour related correlates of academic performance in those students who attended all course exams.MethodsAnthropometrics of 101 first year university students were measured at both the beginning of the first (T1) and second (T2) semester of the academic year. An on-line health behaviour questionnaire was filled out at T2. As a measure of academic performance student end-of-year Grade Point Averages (GPA) were obtained from the university’s registration office. Independent samples t-tests and chi 2 -tests were executed to compare students who attended all course exams during the first year of university and students who did not carry through. Uni- and multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to identify correlates of academic performance in students who attended all course exams during the first year of university.ResultsStudents who did not attend all course exams were predominantly male, showed higher increases in waist circumference during the first semester and consumed more French fries than those who attended all final course exams. Being male, lower secondary school grades, increases in weight, Body Mass Index and waist circumference over the first semester, more gaming on weekdays, being on a diet, eating at the student restaurant more frequently, higher soda and French fries consumption, and higher frequency of alcohol use predicted lower GPA’s in first year university students. When controlled for each other, being on a diet and higher frequency of alcohol use remained significant in the multivariate regression model, with frequency of alcohol use being the strongest correlate of GPA.ConclusionsThis study, conducted in Belgian first year university students, showed that academic performance is associated with a wide range of weight and health related behaviours. Future studies should investigate whether interventions aiming at promoting healthy behaviours among students could also have a positive impact on academic performance.
Highlights
This study aimed to examine differences in socio-demographics and health behaviour between Belgian first year university students who attended all final course exams and those who did not
Students living in a student residence are assumed to experience less parental control, which might influence academic efforts and achievement negatively, no previous studies investigated the role of residency on academic performance in university students
Average Grade Point Averages (GPA) in the last year of secondary school was higher in students who carried through all course exams during the first year of university (68.6 ± 7.5%; n = 42) in comparison to those who did not (63.6 ± 6.3%; n = 14; t = −2.2; p = 0.030)
Summary
This study aimed to examine differences in socio-demographics and health behaviour between Belgian first year university students who attended all final course exams and those who did not. This study aimed to identify weight and health behaviour related correlates of academic performance in those students who attended all course exams. Higher academic performance during the years at university is highly related to career success [1]. Different studies agreed that female university students tended to have greater academic success [3,6,7]. In a study of Singleton et al [5] in US college students parental education as well as ethnicity (being Caucasian) correlated positively with academic performance. Students living in a student residence are assumed to experience less parental control, which might influence academic efforts and achievement negatively, no previous studies investigated the role of residency (on or off campus) on academic performance in university students
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