This cross-sectional study examined the association between health and academic achievement among Hispanic eighth-grade students in Houston, Texas. A brief anonymous questionnaire was administered in the classroom to 359 students in two schools during a one-month period in the early part of the 2001 school year. The literature supports an association between socioeconomic status and health status that may be partially mediated by educational attainment. Both academic achievement and adolescent health status are associated with health risk behaviors that comprise some of the leading causes of adolescent morbidity and mortality in the U.S. These risk behaviors are related to adolescent problem behaviors such as truancy, antisocial behavior, academic failure, and school dropout. Staying in school may be associated with low engagement in health risk behavior and with positive academic achievement, health, and quality of life. Hispanic adolescents are at risk for experiencing low levels of educational attainment with poor immediate and future health consequences. Aims:(1) association between academic achievement and health status; (2) association between health risk behaviors and health status; and (3) contribution of health risk behaviors and academic achievement to adolescent health status. The multivariate analysis was conducted using ordinal logistic regression, controlling for the sociodemographic covariates. Eight factors were found to be significantly associated with poor health status: usual grades (low), academic performance (low), academic achievement beliefs (negative), classroom and homework performance satisfaction (low), ever drinking alcohol (6 or more times), suicidality (ever thought about, planned for, or sought medical help after attempting suicide), gender (female), and age (15 years and older).
Learning Objectives: At the end of the presentation, attendant will describe the relationship between health status and the educational attainment of latino students in Houston, Texas
Keywords: Education, Latino Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.