Youth Academic Performance Research Articles

Psychological Consequences of Online Gaming on Youth: A Survey of UMT Lahore

Research related to online gaming has gradually increased over the past few years, however minimal research has been able to study the relationship between online games, anxiety, and academic performance. In this research, the discussion is about the psychological consequences of online games on youth. This paper aims at studying the impact of online gaming on the academic performance of youth. Survey method is conducted to get the results of the research. 150 students from UMT university of Lahore were selected to participate in this study. The results of the survey show that 85.3% students of the university who participated in the survey are involved in playing online games. Also, 65% of participants believe that playing violent games makes a person to be more aggressive. The findings of the study indicate that playing online games for longer periods would cause harmful effects on the physical/ mental well-being of the students.

The intersection of school corporal punishment and associated factors: Baseline results from a randomized controlled trial in Pakistan.

Violence against youth is a global issue; one form of youth victimization is school corporal punishment. We use baseline assessments from a cluster randomized controlled trial to examine the prevalence of school corporal punishment, by gender, and the relationship to levels of peer violence at school, parent corporal punishment, youth food security and youth academic performance and school attendance in Pakistan. Forty homogenous public schools in the urban city of Hyderabad, Pakistan were chosen for randomization into the trial evaluating a youth violence prevention intervention. 1752 6th graders, age 11–14 years, were selected as the target population. Since schools are segregated by gender in Pakistan, data are from interviews in 20 boys’ schools and 20 girls’ schools. Overall, 91.4% of boys and 60.9% of girls reported corporal punishment at school in the previous 4 weeks and 60.3% of boys had been physically punished at home in the past 4 weeks compared to 37.1% of girls. Structural equation modeling revealed one direct pathway for both boys and girls from food insecurity to corporal punishment at school while indirect pathways were mediated by depression, the number of days missed from school and school performance and for boys also by engagement in peer violence. Exposure to corporal punishment in school and from parents differs by gender, but in both boys and girls poverty in the form of food insecurity was an important risk factor, with the result that poorer children are victimized more by adults.

가정의 사교육비지출과 청소년 학업성적 간의 관계에서 부모양육 유형의 조절효과

가정의 사교육비지출과 청소년 학업성적 간의 관계에서 부모양육 유형의 조절효과

Cardiorespiratory fitness and academic performance association is mediated by weight status in adolescents: DADOS study.

Our data show that the influence of CRF on academic performance is mediated by weight status in adolescents. We suggest that our data could be considered by educators, families, and policy makers, so that active lifestyles might be promoted when designing programs aimed to improve AP among adolescents. What is Known: • Academic performance is associated with both, cardiorespiratory fitness and weight status. • The role of weight status in the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and academic performance is poorly understood. What is New: • We support the scarce research investigating the mediating role of weight status as mechanism in the association between fitness and academic performance in youth. • Previous knowledge is expanded by suggesting that cardiorespiratory fitness is related to weight status which in turn may positively influence academic performance in adolescents.

Longitudinal Links Between Gambling Participation and Academic Performance in Youth: A Test of Four Models.

Gambling participation and low academic performance are related during adolescence, but the causal mechanisms underlying this link are unclear. It is possible that gambling participation impairs academic performance. Alternatively, the link between gambling participation and low academic performance could be explained by common underlying risk factors such as impulsivity and socio-family adversity. It could also be explained by other current correlated problem behaviors such as substance use. The goal of the present study was to examine whether concurrent and longitudinal links between gambling participation and low academic performance exist from age 14 to age 17years, net of common antecedent factors and current substance use. A convenience sample of 766 adolescents (50.6% males) from a longitudinal twin sample participated in the study. Analyses revealed significant, albeit modest, concurrent links at both ages between gambling participation and academic performance. There was also a longitudinal link between gambling participation at age 14 and academic performance at age 17, which persisted after controlling for age 12 impulsivity and socio-family adversity as well as current substance use. Gambling participation predicts a decrease in academic performance during adolescence, net of concurrent and antecedent personal and familial risk factors.

Suicide attempt predicted by academic performance and childhood IQ: a cohort study of 26 000 children.

Academic performance in youth, measured by grade point average (GPA), predicts suicide attempt, but the mechanisms are not known. It has been suggested that general intelligence might underlie the association. We followed 26 315 Swedish girls and boys in population-representative cohorts, up to maximum 46 years of age, for the first suicide attempt in hospital records. Associations between GPA at age 16, IQ measured in school at age 13 and suicide attempt were investigated in Cox regressions and mediation analyses. There was a clear graded association between lower GPA and subsequent suicide attempt. With control for potential confounders, those in the lowest GPA quartile had a near five-fold risk (HR 4.9, 95% CI 3.7-6.7) compared to those in the highest quartile. In a mediation analysis, the association between GPA and suicide attempt was robust, while the association between IQ and suicide attempt was fully mediated by GPA. Poor academic performance in compulsory school, at age 16, was a robust predictor of suicide attempt past young adulthood and seemed to account for the association between lower childhood IQ and suicide attempt.

Acculturation Gap Distress among Latino Youth: Prospective Links to Family Processes and Youth Depressive Symptoms, Alcohol Use, and Academic Performance.

Latino youth have higher rates of educational and mental health difficulties compared to peers from other racial/ethnic groups. To understand the factors related to such maladjustment, a mediational model linking youth report of parent-youth acculturation gaps to prospective changes (from spring to fall semester) in youth report of academic performance, depressive symptoms and alcohol use via youth report of parent-youth conflict and family cohesion, was studied in a sample of 248 U.S.-and foreign-born Latino youth (Mage = 15.21 years; 50% female; 67% U.S.-born). Parent-youth acculturation gaps were associated with changes in youth academic performance across two semesters via their negative impact on family functioning. For U.S.-born youth, parent-youth acculturation gaps were also linked to changes in alcohol use via parent-adolescent conflict. Results provide some support for the acculturative gap hypotheses while unique findings across nativity groups suggest that such individual-level characteristics may serve as important sources of variation for Latino youth.

The association between obesity and academic performance in youth: a systematic review.

Previous studies have found that obesity could influence academic performance. The aim of this study was to systematically review the scientific evidence on the association between obesity and academic performance in school children. A systematic review of English articles was undertaken by using databases PubMed/Medline, ERIC, LILACS, SciELO and Web of Science. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies examining the association between obesity and academic performance in children and adolescents, published between January 1990 and December 2016, were included. Risk of bias was assessed by using Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology. Thirty-four studies (23 cross-sectional and 11 longitudinal) matched all inclusion criteria and were included. Seven studies were classified as low risk of bias, 23 as medium risk and four as high risk. After controlling for covariates such as socio-economic status, parental education and physical activity, the association between obesity and academic performance becomes uncertain for most of the studies (55.9%). Therefore, at present, there is insufficient evidence to support a direct link between obesity and poor academic performance in school age children. In order to clarify this issue, we need more longitudinal studies with adequate sample sizes and that control for potential confounders.

Longitudinal Relations Among Parenting Styles, Prosocial Behaviors, and Academic Outcomes in U.S. Mexican Adolescents.

This article examined parenting styles and prosocial behaviors as longitudinal predictors of academic outcomes in U.S. Mexican youth. Adolescents (N=462; Wave 1 Mage =10.4years; 48.1% girls), parents, and teachers completed parenting, prosocial behavior, and academic outcome measures at 5th, 10th, and 12th grades. Authoritative parents were more likely to have youth who exhibited high levels of prosocial behaviors than those who were moderately demanding and less involved. Fathers and mothers who were less involved and mothers who were moderately demanding were less likely than authoritative parents to have youth who exhibited high levels of prosocial behaviors. Prosocial behaviors were positively associated with academic outcomes. Discussion focuses on parenting, prosocial behaviors, and academic attitudes in understanding youth academic performance.

Objectively Measured Physical Activity During Physical Education and School Recess and Their Associations With Academic Performance in Youth: The UP&DOWN Study

This study examined the associations of objectively measured physical activity in Physical Education and recess with academic performance in youth. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,780 participants aged 6 to 18 years (863 girls). Physical activity was objectively measured by accelerometry and was also classified according to sex- and agespecific quartiles of physical activity intensities. Academic performance was assessed through school records. Physical activity in physical education (PE) and recess was not associated with academic performance (β ranging from -0.038 to -0.003; all P > .05). Youth in the lowest quartile of physical activity in PE engaged in an average of 1.40 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and those in the highest quartile engaged in 21.60 min (for recess: lowest quartile, 2.20 min; highest quartile, 11.15 min). There were no differences in academic performance between quartiles of physical activity in Physical Education and recess. Time spent at different physical activity intensities during PE and recess does not impair academic performance in youth.

Physical fitness and academic performance in youth: A systematic review.

Physical fitness (PF) is a construct of health- and skill-related attributes which have been associated with academic performance (AP) in youth. This study aimed to review the scientific evidence on the association among components of PF and AP in children and adolescents. A systematic review of articles using databases PubMed/Medline, ERIC, LILACS, SciELO, and Web of Science was undertaken. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies examining the association between at least one component of PF and AP in children and adolescents, published between 1990 and June 2016, were included. Independent extraction of articles was carried out by the two authors using predefined data fields. From a total of 45 studies included, 25 report a positive association between components of PF with AP and 20 describe a single association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and AP. According to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines: 12 were classified as low, 32 as medium risk, and 1 as high risk of bias. Thirty-one studies reported a positive association between AP and CRF, six studies with muscular strength, three studies with flexibility, and seven studies reported a positive association between clustered of PF components and AP. The magnitude of the associations is weak to moderate (β=0.10-0.42 and odds=1.01-4.14). There is strong evidence for a positive association between CRF and cluster of PF with AP in cross-sectional studies; and evidence from longitudinal studies for a positive association between cluster of PF and AP; the relationship between muscular strength and flexibility with AP remains uncertain.

Heterogeneous relationships between family private education spending and youth academic performance in Korea

Private education in Korea, a country with one of the largest private education systems in the world, is a double-edged sword: it is culturally and socioeconomically indispensable to the youth, but financially onerous to the family. An in-depth examination of this topic is warranted due to inconsistency in the relationship between informal education and youth academic outcomes. The current exploratory study attempted to clarify this ambiguous relationship between family spending on private education and self-reported academic performance scores using quantile regression techniques and a nationally representative sample of Korean youth (N=2,120). The methodological advantage of using quantile regression is that it allows exploration of whether the magnitude of the association between family spending on private education and academic scores differs across quantiles of academic performance. The concave representation of relationship sizes across the distribution of academic scores indicated that the magnitude is greatest around the median of the academic performance distribution, whereas the size of the coefficient is smallest at the extreme ends. In other words, reliance on mean-based results may have masked the full picture of the heterogeneous association between family spending in private education and youth academic performance. Our findings may help direct targeted strategies for improving youth academic outcomes.

Dance participation and academic performance in youth girls

Dance is a predominant type of physical activity among girls.Dance characteristics imply skills associated to health-related physicalfitness, as well as others such as learning and memory, mental representation, imagination and creativity, which are related to cognitive development. Although dance has been shown to influence physical health among youth girls, whether dance may influence academic performance and cognition in youth remains to beelucidated. The objective of this work was to examine the association between participation in dance and academic performance in youth girls.

Inflammatory biomarkers and academic performance in youth. The UP & DOWN Study

Inflammation influences cognitive development in infants and older adults, however, how inflammation may affect academic development during childhood and adolescence remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to examine the association between inflammatory biomarkers and academic performance in children and adolescents. A total of 494 youth (238 girls) aged 10.6±3.4years participated in the study. Four inflammatory biomarkers were selected: C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and white blood cell (WBC) count. An inflammatory index was created using the above mentioned biomarkers. Academic performance was assessed through schools records. Results showed that three of the four inflammatory biomarkers (CRP, IL-6 and WBC) and the inflammatory index were negatively associated with all academic indicators (β values ranging from −0.094 to −0.217, all P<0.05) independent of confounders including body fat percentage. Indeed, youth in the highest tertile of the inflammatory index had significantly lower scores in all academic indicators compared with youth in the middle tertile (scores ranging from −0.578 to −0.344) and in the lowest tertile (scores ranging from −0.678 to −0.381). In conclusion, inflammation may impair academic performance independently of body fat levels in youth. Our results are of importance because the consequences of childhood and adolescence inflammation tend to continue into adulthood. Lifestyle interventions in youth may be promising in reducing levels of inflammation beyond the reduction in body fat in order to achieve cognitive benefits.

The Impact of Social and Economic Factors on the Academic Performance of Youth in Slovenia

In this research, we assessed the impact of the socio-economic status (average net wages, the registered unemployment rate), education structure and demographic risk (the age dependency ratio) of residents of different Slovenian municipalities on scores on the nationwide, external assessment of knowledge given to pupils in grade 9 of primary school. The analysis was conducted using data for 201 Slovenian municipalities where the National Assessment of Knowledge (NAK) was given to 9th-grade primary school pupils in the years 2012, 2013 and 2014. This test assesses learners’ knowledge of the Slovene language and mathematics. The data were used to calculate basic descriptive statistics, as well as coefficients, correlations and validated regression models. The findings show that registered unemployment rate, average educational attainment and the age dependency ratio influence achievements in mathematics. The findings for the Slovene portion of the National Assessment of Knowledge are not as expressive, but do indicate that the registered unemployment rate and age dependency ratio have an impact.

Maternal physical activity before and during the prenatal period and the offspring's academic performance in youth. The UP&DOWN study

Objective: To examine the association of maternal physical activity before and during pregnancy with academic performance in youth. Methods: This study included 1868 youth (6–18 years) and their mothers. Mothers recalled their physical activity before and during pregnancy. Mothers were categorized into four groups: “remained active”, “became inactive”, “became active” and “remained inactive”. Academic performance was assessed through school records. Results: Boys whose mothers practiced physical activity before or during pregnancy had significantly higher scores in academic performance indicators independently of physical activity, fitness, current body mass index (BMI) and birthweight than those whose mothers did not practice physical activity before or during pregnancy (all p < 0.05). In addition, boys whose mothers remained active had higher scores in all academic indicators (ranging from +0.358 to +0.543) than boys whose mothers remained inactive. Boys whose mothers remained active had higher scores in Language (score +0.546; 95% CI, 0.150–0.940), average of Math and Language (score +0.468; 95% CI, 0.100–0.836) and grade point average (GPA) (score +0.368; 95% CI, 0.092–0.644) than boys whose mothers became active. Conclusions: Maternal physical activity before and during pregnancy may positively influence youth's academic performance. Continuing maternal physical activity practice during pregnancy may have greater benefits for youth's academic performance.

Objectively measured and self-reported leisure-time sedentary behavior and academic performance in youth: The UP&DOWN Study

ObjectiveTo examine the associations of (i) objectively measured and self-reported sedentary behavior during leisure time with academic performance and (ii) patterns of sedentary behavior with academic performance. MethodsThis study was conducted with 1146 youth aged 12.5±2.5years in Spain during 2011–2012. Leisure-time sedentary behavior during out-of-school hours was assessed by accelerometry and self-report. Academic performance was assessed through school grades. ResultsObjectively measured sedentary leisure-time was not significantly associated with academic performance. Time spent in Internet surfing, listening to music, and sitting without doing anything were negatively associated with all academic performance indicators (β ranging from −0.066 to −0.144; all p<0.05). However, time spent in doing homework/study without computer and reading for fun were positively associated (β ranging from 0.058 to 0.154; all p<0.05). Five major sedentary patterns were identified. The “high social-low TV/video” and the “low studying-high TV/video” patterns were negatively associated with all academic indicators (β ranging from −0.085 to −0.148; all p<0.05). The “educational” pattern was positively associated with all academic indicators (β ranging from 0.063 to 0.105; all p<0.05). ConclusionsSpecific domains of self-reported sedentary behavior during leisure-time, but not objectively measured sedentary leisure time, may influence academic performance.

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and academic performance in youth: the UP&DOWN study.

To examine the association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and academic performance in children and adolescents. This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 1371 youth aged 12.04 ± 2.50 years (685 girls) in Spain during 2011-2012. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was assessed using the KIDMED index (Mediterranean Diet Quality Index in children and adolescents), which includes 16 questions on specific dietary patterns. Levels of adherence were classified into three groups: poor adherence (0-3), average adherence (4-7), and good adherence (8-12). Academic performance was assessed through school records using four indicators: math, language, an average of math and language, and grade point average score. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was related to academic performance (β ranging from 0.107 to 0.148; all P < 0.001) after adjusting for confounders. The group of good adherence to the Mediterranean diet had significantly higher scores in all of the academic indicators compared with the poor group (ranging from +0.429 to 0.464; all P ≤ 0.001); as well as the group of average adherence to the Mediterranean diet had significantly higher scores in all of the academic indicators compared with the poor group (ranging from +0.292 to 0.344; all P ≤ 0.06). There were no differences between the groups of good and average adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet may have a beneficial influence on academic performance in youth. Importantly, the benefits of adherence to the Mediterranean diet on academic performance may be stronger as youth adhered to the optimal Mediterranean diet levels.

Nationally Representative Associations between Health-Related Physical Fitness and Standardized Academic Test Scores in Chilean Adolescents

Physical fitness has been positively related to academic performance in youth, yet this association has not been examined at a national level for cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and musculoskeletal fitness (MSF). PURPOSE: To examine the independent and combined associations of CRF and MSF with academic performance in Chilean 8th graders. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was based on a population-based, representative sample of 18,696 8th graders (median age=14 years) who were sampled in both the 2011 National Physical Education Survey and the 2011 National Academic Achievement Survey in Chile. Academic performance was assessed via four standardized tests: reading, math, natural science, and social sciences (max average score of all tests=404.0; min=132.8; mean=257.3). CRF was assessed with the 20-meter shuttle run test and MSF with standing broad jump. The independent associations of CRF and MSF with the mean of the four academic test scores were determined through multivariate linear regression. The combined influence of CRF and MSF on academic achievement was determined using ANCOVA with a three-level dependent variable: 1) unhealthy CRF and unhealthy MSF; 2) either unhealthy MSF or unhealthy CRF; 3) healthy MSF and healthy CRF. Both models controlled for body mass index, waist circumference, socioeconomic status, age, sex, and geographical location. Analyses were weighted and accounted for complex sampling design. RESULTS: MSF was positively associated with academic performance scores (beta=0.09, p<0.001), independent of CRF and other covariates, whereas CRF was not significantly associated with academic scores, after controlling for MSF and other covariates. Students with both unhealthy CRF and unhealthy MSF had poorer academic scores (adjusted mean score=253.2) than students with either unhealthy CRF or MSF (adjusted mean=256.9), who had yet poorer academic performance than students with healthy CRF and healthy MSF (adjusted mean=258.9; p for trend <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Unhealthy MSF was associated with poorer academic scores in Chilean adolescents. When combined with unhealthy CRF, this effect intensified. Results are in line with previous studies finding a link between physical fitness and academic achievement in youth, this time at a nationally representative level. The findings may have implications for education policy in Chile.

An Investigation into the Negative Impacts of Social Media on Academic Performance of Youth

This study is an attempt to know about the negative impacts of social media on the students of swat university district swat. It is quite explicit that use of social media is a burning and blistering issue of the day as well as the major concern of the day. In this regard this attempt was undertaken to highlight the issue and bring intimation regard the burning phenomenon among the masses as well as concerned people. The data is thoroughly analyzed in the result highlighting that there are negative impacts of social media on academic performance youth. Most of the data has been collected from literate and educated person who admitted that due to social media students’ academic performance affected. This research activity highlights that use of social media is misery of the day which needs immediate solution and measures to prevent the students. The research also includes the forms of social media which are affecting the student academic performance negatively. This research is a combination of authentic literature which has been selected from accurate sources. Such literature indicates the condition of social media in different regions of the world where it has been on peak and affecting the lives of students adversely. The collected data was then analyzed in shape of tabulation which was then explained. Keywords: Social Media, Students’ Academic Performance, Youth, Impacts, District Swat.