Lower School Grades Research Articles

Association between childhood adversity and a diagnosis of personality disorder in young adulthood: a cohort study of 107,287 individuals in Stockholm County

Childhood adversity (CA) may increase the risk for later developing of personality disorder (PD). However, less is known about the association between cumulative CA and PD, and the role of childhood psychopathology and school performance. The current study examined the relationship between a range of CAs and a diagnosis of PD in young adulthood, and the roles of childhood psychopathology and school performance in this relationship. All individuals born in Stockholm County 1987–1991 (n = 107,287) constituted our cohort. Seven CAs were measured between birth and age 14: familial death, parental criminality, parental substance abuse and psychiatric morbidity, parental separation and/or single-parent household, household public assistance and residential instability. Individuals were followed from their 18th birthday until they were diagnosed with PD or until end of follow-up (December 31st 2011). Adjusted estimates of risk of PD were calculated as hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Associations were observed between cumulative CA and PD. During the follow-up 770 individuals (0.7%) were diagnosed with PD. Individuals exposed to 3+ CAs had the highest risks of being diagnosed with PD (HR 3.0, 95% CI 2.4–3.7). Childhood psychopathology and low school grades further increased the risk of PD among individuals exposed to CA. Cumulative CA is strongly associated with a diagnosis of PD in young adulthood. Our findings indicate that special attention should be given in schools and health services to children exposed to adversities to prevent decline in school performance, and to detect vulnerable individuals that may be on negative life-course trajectories.

Associations between selective attention and soil-transmitted helminth infections, socioeconomic status, and physical fitness in disadvantaged children in Port Elizabeth, South Africa: An observational study.

BackgroundSocioeconomically deprived children are at increased risk of ill-health associated with sedentary behavior, malnutrition, and helminth infection. The resulting reduced physical fitness, growth retardation, and impaired cognitive abilities may impede children’s capacity to pay attention. The present study examines how socioeconomic status (SES), parasitic worm infections, stunting, food insecurity, and physical fitness are associated with selective attention and academic achievement in school-aged children.MethodologyThe study cohort included 835 children, aged 8–12 years, from eight primary schools in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The d2-test was utilized to assess selective attention. This is a paper and pencil letter-cancellation test consisting of randomly mixed letters d and p with one to four single and/or double quotation marks either over and/or under each letter. Children were invited to mark only the letters d that have double quotation marks. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed via the 20 m shuttle run test and muscle strength using the grip strength test. The Kato-Katz thick smear technique was employed to detect helminth eggs in stool samples. SES and food insecurity were determined with a pre-tested questionnaire, while end of year school results were used as an indicator of academic achievement.Principal findingsChildren infected with soil-transmitted helminths had lower selective attention, lower school grades (academic achievement scores), and lower grip strength (all p<0.05). In a multiple regression model, low selective attention was associated with soil-transmitted helminth infection (p<0.05) and low shuttle run performance (p<0.001), whereas higher academic achievement was observed in children without soil-transmitted helminth infection (p<0.001) and with higher shuttle run performance (p<0.05).Conclusions/SignificanceSoil-transmitted helminth infections and low physical fitness appear to hamper children’s capacity to pay attention and thereby impede their academic performance. Poor academic achievement will make it difficult for children to realize their full potential, perpetuating a vicious cycle of poverty and poor health.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov ISRCTN68411960

Social and Individual-Level Predictors of Alcohol Use Initiation and Escalation: Replicating and Extending Tests of Differential Effects.

Although alcohol use is considered a developmental phenomenon, there is a relative dearth of studies disaggregating predictors of alcohol use initiation versus early escalation of drinking. One perspective that has emerged is that social levels of influence may be relevant for the initiation of drinking, whereas individual levels of influence may be relevant for the early escalation in level of drinking among initiators, which we refer to as the specificity hypothesis. A sample of alcohol-naive youth (n = 944; mean age = 12.16 years, SD = 0.96) was prospectively assessed for 3 years, spanning six waves of data collection. Both social (parental conflict, perceived prevalence of peer drinking) and individual-level (higher sensation seeking) variables uniquely predicted increases in the likelihood of alcohol initiation. Likewise, both social (perceived descriptive norms of peer drinking) and individual-level (lower school grades, higher sensation seeking) variables uniquely predicted escalation in level of drinking among initiators (although only marginally for sensation seeking). Overall, there was little support for the specificity hypothesis. Our findings suggest that to assume that social and individual-level processes differentially predict drinking outcomes may be a false dichotomy. Theoretical work may benefit from drawing from developmental models emphasizing the interplay between individual and environmental factors in the prediction of the early development of drinking. The emergence of drinking behaviors is likely to result from a developmental cascade of interacting variables that make the ontogeny of drinking unlikely to emerge from a single class of variables.

Pupils' primary school achievements in Northern Finland

The purpose of this article is to analyze how pupils in Sami- and Finnish-speaking classes in Northern Finland succeeded in school from 1979 to 1996 by collecting data on the school grades of 66 pupils from elementary school to junior high school. The data was supplemented later by interviews in order to clarify school success. The aim of this study is to clarify how school success was actualized through school grades in relation to gender and language-based school class. School success in this research is constructed through school grades. According to the statistical results, the girls were more successful in school than the boys. Overall, the Sami boys did not achieve statistically good results in school; although there are individual exceptions. One explanation, according to interviews, is that the boys with low school grades did not find school to be generally important; they felt that their education was not interesting and that school did not consider their desires and choices. The interviewed boys stated that their goal was to work in the future in the traditional source of livelihood, not to continue their studies after elementary school in the academic fields. Compared to the boys, the girls earned higher scores in every subject. This result shows that the girls were more career-orientated and saw futures in occupations that required more study. Compared to Finnish-speaking pupils, Sami pupils received lower grades overall. Generally, these results suggest that girls achieved greater school success than boys in Finland. Furthermore, Sami boys received in research period lower grades than any other group. Study raises critical points related to the school success of indigenous pupils. Through these findings, this article seeks to highlight how schools should be changed to give all pupils support to their motivation, self-esteem and future good quality of life.

Does Poor Understanding of Physical World Predict Religious and Paranormal Beliefs?

SummaryAlthough supernatural beliefs often paint a peculiar picture about the physical world, the possibility that the beliefs might be based on inadequate understanding of the non‐social world has not received research attention. In this study (N = 258), we therefore examined how physical‐world skills and knowledge predict religious and paranormal beliefs. The results showed that supernatural beliefs correlated with all variables that were included, namely, with low systemizing, poor intuitive physics skills, poor mechanical ability, poor mental rotation, low school grades in mathematics and physics, poor common knowledge about physical and biological phenomena, intuitive and analytical thinking styles, and in particular, with assigning mentality to non‐mental phenomena. Regression analyses indicated that the strongest predictors of the beliefs were overall physical capability (a factor representing most physical skills, interests, and knowledge) and intuitive thinking style. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Achievement goal profiles in elementary school: Antecedents, consequences, and longitudinal trajectories

The present study investigated antecedents and consequences of achievement goal profiles across multiple measurement waves from second to fourth grade in a sample of 542 German elementary school students. Latent profile analyses revealed five different achievement goal profiles (high and moderate, multiple goals, primarily mastery- and moderately performance-oriented, and amotivated), although not all profiles were prevalent at each measurement wave. Over 85% of the students changed their goal profiles over time, with slightly greater instabilities within rather than between school years. We found mixed support for the hypothesized cognitively based shift from mastery-oriented to performance-oriented profiles. Though the amount of moderately performance-oriented students increased over time, the overall number of students adopting this profile remained small until the end of fourth grade. Gender and implicit theories of intelligence, but not ability self-perceptions, were significant antecedents of goal profiles, with girls and students favoring an incremental view of intelligence, and being more likely to pursue primarily mastery goals. Cross-sectional analyses revealed that primarily mastery-oriented and high multiple goal students showed significantly higher values on intrinsic motivation than moderately performance-oriented and amotivated students. Though mean differences were not always significant, primarily mastery-oriented students received the best school grades. Cross-lagged analyses showed that lower school grades and lower intrinsic motivation at one time point made adopting a mastery-oriented profile less likely at the following time point. Results are discussed in relation to our understanding of the nature and development of individual goal profiles in elementary school.

Childhood school performance, education and occupational complexity: a life-course study of dementia in the Kungsholmen Project

Cognitive reserve hypothesis predicts that intellectually demanding activities over the life course protect against dementia. We investigate if childhood school performance remains associated with dementia once education and occupational complexity are taken into account. A cohort of 440 individuals aged 75+ from the Kungsholmen Project was followed up for 9 years to detect dementia. To measure early-life contributors to reserve, we used grades at age 9-10 extracted from the school archives. Data on formal education and occupational complexity were collected at baseline and first follow-up. Dementia was ascertained through comprehensive clinical examination. Cox models estimated the relationship between life-course cognitive reserve measures and dementia. Dementia risk was elevated [hazard ratio (HR): 1.54, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03 to 2.29] in individuals with low early-life school grades after adjustment for formal educational attainment and occupational complexity. Secondary education was associated with a lower risk of dementia (HR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.50 to 1.03), although the effects of post-secondary and university degrees were indistinguishable from baseline. Occupational complexity with data and things was not related to dementia. However, an association was found between high occupational complexity with people and dementia, albeit only in women (HR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.14 to 0.99). The pattern of results remained unchanged after adjustment for genetic susceptibility, comorbidities and depressive symptoms. Low early-life school performance is associated with an elevated risk of dementia, independent of subsequent educational and occupational attainment.

Stages of Change for physical activity after a school-based intervention: a cross-sectional study

The present study aimed to identify factors associated with the Stages of Change (SoC) for physical activity among adolescents who participated in a school-based health promotion intervention. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 8,071 students whose average age was 13.9 (SD ± 2.4) years. To evaluate the SoC, an adaptation of the questionnaire proposed by Dumith, Domingues and Gigante (2009) was used, considering physical activities performed at least three times per week during 20 minutes. Data collection was carried out from October to November 2013 through self-administered questionnaires in the classroom. The prevalence of students in each stage was: 12.1% in the Pre-contemplation stage, 7.7% Contemplation, 16.8% Preparation, 21.8% Action and 41.6% in the Maintenance stage. Males were more associated with the stages of Action (RR 1.28, 95% CI 1.07-1.54; p = 0.006) and Maintenance (RR 3.57, 95% CI 3.02-4.23; p &lt;0.001) compared to females. Economic level and knowledge about health showed a direct relationship to the Action and Maintenance stages. A large portion of the sample was located in active stages. Being male, being in lower school grades and having a higher index of assets were associated with higher SoC. Knowledge about physical activity and health was directly related to the Preparation, Action and Maintenance stages, pointing to a positive effect on intention or active behavior.

Low cognitive reserve and higher prevalence of dementia in developing countries

Cognitive Reserve (CR) is a hypothetical construct believed to explain individual differences in the relationship between neuropathology and cognitive performance. Proposed markers of CR include: education attainment, occupational achievement, mental activities and premorbid IQ. Rather than postulating that brains of individual with high CR are grossly anatomically different from those with less CR, the CR hypothesis posits that high CR individuals process tasks in a manner that allows them to cope better with the brain damage. Brain reserve, understood as the higher brain efficiency due to anatomical differences, is encompassed by the more general expression CR, although they may represent two closely interacting but different resources. High CR has been proposed to explain the lower incidence of dementia in individuals with higher levels of education. Low CR may be responsible for the higher prevalence of dementia in relatively younger individuals in studies from Latin America and in minorities in developed countries. Even very low levels of educational attainment, is probably able to increase CR. Otherwise, the role of brain reserve has been shown by studies relating higher rates of dementia prevalence in old age with low performance in neuropsychological tests at age of 11(Lothian Studies) and with low school grades at the age of 10 (Uppsalla Study). Bad nutritional conditions during prenatal period or early childhood may probably predispose to dementia in old age. Both CR and brain reserve may be responsible for higher prevalence of dementia in developing countries.

Where Should We Eat? Lunch Source and Dietary Measures Among Youth During the School Week.

To examine lunch sources during the school week among students and the associations with fruits and vegetable (F&V) and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption. Students (n = 23 680) from 43 Ontario, Canada, secondary schools completed a health behaviour survey in the Year 1 COMPASS study. Analysis used generalized linear mixed effects models. The most frequently reported lunch source was home (2.9 days per school week), then the school cafeteria (1.1) and fast-food places or restaurants (FFRs) (0.9). Eating a home lunch was associated with having less spending money, white ethnicity, and females; whereas cafeteria lunch was associated with more spending money, lower school grade, and females. A FFR lunch was associated with males, more spending money, and higher physical activity. Greater frequency of a home lunch was associated with greater F&V consumption. Greater frequency of a FFR lunch was associated with more frequent SSB consumption. Cafeteria lunches were associated with increases in both SSB and F&V. Eating a lunch obtained from outside of the home is a regular behaviour among students. Sources of school-week lunches may have an important influence on dietary intake among youth. These findings reinforce the need for strategies to promote healthier lunch sources and healthier food options.

Associations of health behaviors, school performance and psychosocial problems in adolescents in The Netherlands

School-based health-promoting interventions show promising results in improving various health outcomes of adolescents. Unfortunately, much is still unknown about the relations between health behaviors and school performances, while improving these would give schools a stronger incentive to invest in health promotion. This paper presents the associations of several health behaviors with school performances and studies the mediating effects of psychosocial problems. Health behavior and socio-demographic data were gathered from 905 Dutch high school students via an online survey, completed in-class. These data were matched with school records of the students' overall grade average (GA) on the three core subjects in Dutch high schools (Dutch, English and Math). The associations between health behaviors and school performances, and the potentially mediating effects of psychosocial problems, were studied via mixed-effects regression models. Smoking, being bullied, compulsive and excessive internet use and low physical activity were directly associated with lower school grades. Additionally, being bullied, bullying, smoking, excessive and compulsive internet use were associated with students' grades via mediation of psychosocial problems. This means that lower school grades were (also) associated with those behaviors through the effects of psychosocial problems in those students. This study showed the strong links between health behaviors and academic achievements among adolescents. Schools and health promoters should be educated more on these relations, so that they are aware of this common interest to get more support for health-promoting interventions. Additionally, the role of psychosocial problems in the relations between behaviors and school performances should be studied further in future research.

Prevalence of Internet gaming disorder in German adolescents: diagnostic contribution of the nine DSM-5 criteria in a state-wide representative sample.

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is included as a condition for further study in Section 3 of the DSM-5. Nine criteria were proposed with a threshold of five or more criteria recommended for diagnosis. The aims of this study were to assess how the specific criteria contribute to diagnosis and to estimate prevalence rates of IGD based on DSM-5 recommendations. Large-scale, state-representative school survey using a standardized questionnaire. Germany (Lower Saxony). A total of 11 003 ninth-graders aged 13-18 years (mean = 14.88, 51.09% male). IGD was assessed with a DSM-5 adapted version of the Video Game Dependency Scale that covered all nine criteria of IGD. In total, 1.16% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.96, 1.36] of respondents were classified with IGD according to DSM-5 recommendations. IGD students played games for longer periods, skipped school more often, had lower grades in school, reported more sleep problems and more often endorsed feeling 'addicted to gaming' than their non-IGD counterparts. The most frequently reported DSM-5 criteria overall were 'escape adverse moods' (5.30%) and 'preoccupation' (3.91%), but endorsement of these criteria rarely related to IGD diagnosis. Conditional inference trees showed that the criteria 'give up other activities', 'tolerance' and 'withdrawal' were of key importance for identifying IGD as defined by DSM-5. Based on a state-wide representative school survey in Germany, endorsement of five or more criteria of DSM-5 internet gaming disorder (IGD) occurred in 1.16% of the students, and these students evidence greater impairment compared with non-IGD students. Symptoms related to 'give up other activities', 'tolerance' and 'withdrawal' are most relevant for IGD diagnosis in this age group.

Headaches, quality of life, and academic performance in schoolchildren and adolescents.

Just a few studies to date have focused on headaches, quality of life, and academic performance in children. Determine the effect of headaches on the life of schoolchildren and the association between headaches and academic performance. We conducted a cross-sectional study. One hundred and ninety-five students from an elementary school were randomly selected out of 355 students aged from 10 to 15 years old. Semi-structured interview, the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Version 4.0, the Children's Depression Inventory, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were used. The variables relating to academic performance were obtained by consulting the academic records. Prevalence of headaches: headache: 97.3% (179/184); migraine: 51% (94/184); tension-type headache: 33% (61/184); primary stabbing headache: 7.6% (14/184); unclassified headaches: 5.4% (10/184). Migraine (relative risk: 3.11; 95% confidence interval: 1.54-6.30) and more severe headaches (relative risk: 7.93; 95% confidence interval: 2.65-23.7) were associated with lower quality of life (P < .01; multivariate logistic regression). More severe headaches were associated with lower grades in school (P < .01; multiple linear regression). Variables relating to headaches were not associated with "failing the school year" (P > .05; chi-square test and Fisher's exact test). Headaches were found to be associated with lower quality of life and poor academic performance.

Underrepresentation of Ethiopian–Israeli minority students in programmes for the gifted and talented: a policy discourse analysis

Students from disadvantaged or minority backgrounds are often underrepresented in public educational programmes for the gifted and talented (G&T), a phenomenon that has concerned educators for the last two decades. Ethiopian–Israeli minority students (EIMS) are a good example of this phenomenon, as more than 95% of the vast resources allocated to promoting this minority population are directed to advancing underachieving students. To explain the roots of this policy, we analysed all reports presented to the Israeli parliament regarding EIMS during the years 2000–2012, as well as all studies that these reports were based on. A policy discourse analysis revealed that the public-political discourse concerning EIMS focuses almost entirely on the weaknesses and needs of this population. In addition, this discourse is led by policy networks of interest groups that are involved in promoting minority students. Analysis of the relative achievement levels of EIMS suggests that some students, and especially those in lower school grades, are suitable candidates for integration within G&T frameworks. We suggest that a change of the discourse concerning EIMS and emphasizing their strengths may lead to a change in policy, which will promote G&T students and reduce the ‘stereotype threat’ within this group.

Impact of executive functions on school and peer functions in youths with ADHD

Youths with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to have social dysfunction at school. The authors explored the role of key executive functions (EF, i.e., spatial working memory and spatial planning) on school and peer functions in 511 youths with persistent ADHD according to the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria and 124 non-ADHD controls without any EF deficits. All the participants were assessed by a semi-structured psychiatric interview to confirm their previous and current diagnosis of ADHD and other psychiatric disorders and by the Spatial Working Memory (SWM) and Stocking of Cambridge (SOC) tasks. The participants and their parents reported the participants' school functions and peer relationships. There were three ADHD subgroups: (1) ADHD with deficits in both SWM and SOC tasks (n=121); (2) ADHD with deficit in either SWM or SOC task (n=185); (3) ADHD without deficits in SWM or SOC task (n=205). All the three ADHD groups, regardless of EF deficits, had lower school grade, poorer attitude toward school work, poorer school interactions, more behavioral problems at school, and more severe problems in peer relationships than non-ADHD controls. Multivariate analyses revealed positive associations between deficit in the SWM task and school and peer dysfunctions, and between deficits in the SOC task and impaired peer interactions. Older age and psychiatric comorbidity also contributed to increased risk of school and peer dysfunctions. Our findings suggest that deficits in EF, such as spatial working memory and planning, might be associated with school and peer dysfunctions.

The far-reaching effects of believing people can change: implicit theories of personality shape stress, health, and achievement during adolescence.

The belief that personality is fixed (an entity theory of personality) can give rise to negative reactions to social adversities. Three studies showed that when social adversity is common-at the transition to high school--an entity theory can affect overall stress, health, and achievement. Study 1 showed that an entity theory of personality, measured during the 1st month of 9th grade, predicted more negative immediate reactions to social adversity and, at the end of the year, greater stress, poorer health, and lower grades in school. Studies 2 and 3, both experiments, tested a brief intervention that taught a malleable (incremental) theory of personality--the belief that people can change. The incremental theory group showed less negative reactions to an immediate experience of social adversity and, 8 months later, reported lower overall stress and physical illness. They also achieved better academic performance over the year. Discussion centers on the power of targeted psychological interventions to effect far-reaching and long-term change by shifting interpretations of recurring adversities during developmental transitions.

EPA-0860 – Quantitative and qualitative psychological autopsy of 70 high school students: tragic vs. regressive narratives

Aim To analyze lifetime narratives, risk factors, family profiles, internal and external signs of distress and environmental reaction to it, using the method of psychological autopsy and narratives typology analysis in order to better understand and predict suicide in high schools. Method The psychological autopsy of 70 high school students suicide victims (54 Jewish, 50 males, 43 born in Israel) were analyzed post mortem using quantitative, qualitative and narrative approach. Results We traced two leading narratives: tragic and regressive. Specific risk factors were found including gender, school mal-behavior and truancy, low school grades and learning disorders. Fight with parents and teachers especially with humiliation aspects were a major facilitating factor. Despite the fact that most of the victims gave sings of distress, the adults in their life did not notice it while the peers noticed but refused to believe they are true. Methods of suicide did not differ significantly between genders in this sample. Yet, 20% of the suicide victims were excellent students and fitted the tragic life narratives. They had lower rate of mental disorders (p=0.03), shorter crisis (p=0.006), and less life events (p=0.03) when compared with those with regressive narratives. Conclusions We identify two major life narratives in high school students suicides: tragic and regressive. School truancy for the regressive narratives and fight with authority figures and humiliation for the tragic narratives are major risk factors at high school and should be a focus of prevention programs.

Challenges to Neuroscience and Public Policy Derived from New Trends and Patterns of Inhalant Misuse

Use of inhalants (solvents, aerosols, gases, and nitrites) is a worldwide practice, mainly among children and adolescents in whom toxic effects are more detrimental than in adults. Inhalant misuse is increasing among young adults linked to new and more attractive presentations; it is more common among those coming from poor communities with high violence and delinquency levels, and also among street children and adolescents. Voluntary inhalant misuse is more frequent among males, but the gender gap is narrowing. The risk of developing dependence is well established, especially if inhalant misuse begins at an early age. Suicidality and comorbidity with psychiatric disorders are also common. Regular users are more likely to show deviant behavior, school truancy, and lower school grades. Family history of antisocial behavior has also been reported. Abuse of nitrites is associated with a higher risk of HIV. In general, abuse of inhalants increases the risk of morbidity and mortality. In spite of this evidence, these substances have received less attention than other misused drugs. This review shows results from epidemiology, psychosocial, and treatment research to draw attention to gaps of knowledge that require the involvement of neurosciences and clinical research and to propose policy options.

School absence due to toothache associated with sociodemographic factors, dental caries status, and oral health‐related quality of life in 12‐ and 15‐year‐old Thai children

The objective of this study is to assess prevalence and extent of school absence due to toothache, dental caries, and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) in a subsample of the Thailand national oral health survey. In addition, associations of school absence as the outcome variable with explanatory behavioral and sociodemographic variables, dental caries, and OHRQoL were investigated. Study sample was half of the Sixth Thailand National Oral Health Survey sample (1,063 12-year-old and 811 15-year-old children). Children were orally examined and interviewed about OHRQoL using the Child Oral Impacts on Daily Performances or the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances indices. Children completed a sociodemographic and behavioral questionnaire on school absence due to toothache in current semester. Over a 3-month period, 5.1 percent of 12- and 4.4 percent of 15-year-olds absented themselves from school due to toothache. The number of days absent in 12-year-olds was significantly higher than in 15-year-olds. For 12-year-olds, OHRQoL and toothache were significantly associated with school absence. Severe dental decay was the main dental factor related to school absence but not significantly associated with school absence in the adjusted analyses. Children in lower school grades and those who received dental treatment in current semester were more likely to miss school compared with their counterparts. About one in 20 of Thai school-aged children reported missing school due to toothache. School absence due to toothache was inversely associated with the current year of study and positively with recently receiving dental treatment and with OHRQoL and toothache in 12-year-olds.

일부지역 중학생의 구강건강 관리 행태와 인지도에 따른 구강건강관련 삶의 질

Objectives : This study has attempted to investigate subjective oral health awareness, oral health behavior and analyze how the results are correlated with oral health-related quality of life against middle school students. Methods : A self-administered questionnaire survey was performed against 552 students from three middle schools in Changwon. A frequent analysis was conducted on research subjects' general characteristics, oral health awareness, oral health behavior. In addition, t-test and ANOVA were carried out to analyze oral health-related quality of life by the general characteristics, oral health awareness and oral health behavior. Results : In terms of oral health-related quality of life by general characteristics, the quality of life on oral symptoms was higher at lower school grades (p<0.05). In terms of social welfare, oral health-related quality of life was higher as parents' monthly income increased (p<0.05). Oral health-related quality of life was high in oral symptoms when there was no interest in oral health, in functional limitation, emotional welfare and social welfare when there is some oral health-related knowledge (p<0.05) and in all sub categories when oral conditions are healthy (p<0.05). Conclusions : The results of this study has come up with important information for improvement of oral health-related quality of life in middle school students by investigating the correlations between oral health awareness and oral health-related quality of life.