Effects of a School-Based Garden Program on Academic Performance: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

School gardening programs have consistently been found to improve dietary behaviors in children. Although several quasi-experimental studies have also reported that school gardens can enhance academic performance, to date, no randomized controlled trial has been conducted to substantiate this.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to examine the effects of Texas Sprouts (TX Sprouts), a gardening, nutrition, and cooking program vs control on academic performance in primarily low-income, Hispanic children.

DESIGN

This is a secondary analysis of the grade-level academic scores from schools that participated in the TX Sprouts program, a school-based cluster randomized controlled trial, consisting of 16 elementary schools that were randomly assigned to either the TX Sprouts intervention (n = 8 schools) or control (delayed intervention; n = 8 schools).

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING

Analysis included 16 schools with students in fourth and fifth grade in Austin, TX from 2016 to 2019 that had a majority Hispanic population and a majority of children participating in the free and reduced lunch program.

INTERVENTION

The intervention consisted of 18 one-hour gardening, nutrition, and cooking lessons taught in an outdoor teaching garden by trained educators throughout the academic year.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Texas Education Agency grade-level data for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness were obtained via the Texas Education Agency website for the corresponding year of the intervention or control condition.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS PERFORMED

Repeated measures general linear models with pre- and post-intervention State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness scores as the dependent variable were run, adjusting for the percent of free and reduced lunch and school district as covariates.

RESULTS

Schools that received the TX Sprouts intervention had a 6.5-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade reading State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness scores compared with control schools (P = .047). There were no significant differences in reading scores for fifth grade students or math scores for either fourth- or fifth-grade students between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Study findings provide evidence that school gardening programs may have some modest effects on academic achievement.

Evaluation of the effect of COVID-19 mandated shift to virtual teaching on medical students' performance at King Khalid University, Abha

Objectives

The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic required populations in most parts of the world to take drastic precautions. Face-to-face teachings were suspended, and the teaching and learning process was shifted to the virtual mode. This was a formidable challenge for students, teachers, parents, guardians, and academic administrators. The main objective of this study was to assess the impact of the shift to virtual mode on medical students' academic performance in general and systemic pathology courses.

Methods

The grades achieved in a quiz and practical test taken before the shift to virtual classes were compared to another quiz and practical exam taken by the same groups of students after several weeks of virtual teaching. The paired t-test was conducted to test the hypotheses, and SPSS software was used for data analyses. A short electronic survey was designed and sent to the targeted students (N = 103). The targeted students were also surveyed to understand their experience with e-learning during this time.

Results

In total, 60% of the students reported their e-learning experience as valuable, and 84% prefer to have e-learning as part of the teaching and learning process even after normalcy is restored. The students' performance in the post-virtual tests was significantly better than that in the pre-virtual tests.

Conclusion

The virtual learning format was well received by the students and influenced their academic outcomes. Institutes should provide training sessions for staff and students to address potential education drawbacks and provide modern educational technologies and simulation labs to enhance the educational systems.

Inhibitory control as a significant predictor of academic performance in Chinese high schoolers

Studies investigating the relationship between cognitive function and academic performance have recently shifted focus from differences in intelligence to executive function. To date, these studies have focused disproportionately on samples recruited from Western countries, despite evidence in support of cultural differences in the development of executive function. To address this gap, the present study investigated whether differences in two dimensions of executive function, inhibitory and attentional control, could predict academic performance in a sample of Chinese adolescents (n = 42). Participants reported on demographic details and completed both the Simon task and Attention Network Test. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression controlling for gender, age, SES, English language proficiency, processing speed, and fluid intelligence. Results showed that one index of inhibitory control derived from non-cue trials on the Attention Network Test explained a significant amount of unique variance in academic performance. Our findings provide evidence that executive function, specifically inhibitory control, plays a significant role in academic performance.

Social media aids for business learning: A quantitative evaluation with the 5E instructional model

Social media use is widely accepted in higher education, connecting students' learning with daily life. Considering the potential of social media to revolutionize the whole spectrum of teaching and learning, this study examines social media usage of business school students of different majors and their perception of social media as learning aids through a quantitative online survey guided by the 5E instructional model, with 423 valid responses from students majoring in accounting, finance, and economics. Results indicated that respondents perceived social media as influential in helping them access study-related information. It facilitated comprehensive learning, information access, information sharing, and student communication with instructors. Significant differences in perceptions of using social media as aids for business learning were found among students of different demographics, including gender, education level, and residence, but not quite for different majors. While various studies have examined the use of social media in education, scant studies focus on business school students under the lens of the 5E instructional model, especially Asians.

Association of emotional and behavioral problems with sleep disturbance among Chinese adolescents: The moderation effect of academic performance

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to explore the association of emotional and behavioral problems with sleep disturbance among Chinese adolescents, and to test whether these associations vary with adolescents' academic performance.

METHODS

Data were from the 2021 School-based Chinese Adolescents Health Survey using a multistage, stratified-cluster, and random-sampling method to collect information from 22,684 middle school students in Guangdong Province, China.

RESULTS

Emotional problems (aOR = 1.34, 95 % CI = 1.32-1.36), conduct problems (aOR = 1.19, 95 % CI = 1.16-1.21), hyperactivity (aOR = 1.35, 95 % CI = 1.33-1.37), and peer problems (aOR = 1.06, 95 % CI = 1.04-1.09) were significantly associated with the increased risk of sleep disturbance among middle school students in Guangdong Province. The prevalence of sleep disturbance among adolescents was 29.4 %. There were significant interactions of emotional problems/conduct problems/peer problems/prosocial behavior with academic performance on sleep disturbance. Further stratification analyses by academic performance showed that adolescents with self-reported good academic performance had a higher risk of sleep disturbance than those students with self-reported average or poor academic performance.

LIMITATIONS

This study only included school students and used the cross-sectional design to preclude causality determination.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that emotional and behavioral problems elevate the risk of sleep disturbance in adolescents. Adolescent academic performance plays a modulating role in these above-mentioned significant associations for sleep disturbance.

Study smart - impact of a learning strategy training on students' study behavior and academic performance

Recent research shows the importance to teach students the self-regulated use of effective learning strategies at university. However, the effects of such training programs on students' metacognitive knowledge, use of learning strategies, and academic performance in the longer term are unknown. In the present study, all first-year pharmacology students from one university attended a learning strategy training program, i.e., the 'Study Smart program', in their first weeks. The 20% (n = 25) lowest scoring students on the first midterm received further support regarding their learning strategies. Results showed that all students gained accurate metacognitive knowledge about (in)effective learning strategies in the short- and long-term and reported to use less highlighting, less rereading, but more interleaving, elaboration, and distributed practice after the training program. Academic performance was compared to the prior cohort, which had not received the Study Smart program. While in the previous cohort, students in the top, middle, and bottom rank of midterm 1 stayed in these ranks and still differed significantly in the final exam, students in the Study Smart cohort that received the training program improved throughout the year and differences between ranks were significantly reduced. A learning strategy training program including a remediation track for lower performing students can thus support students to study more effectively and enhance equal chances for all students at university.

Optimal Steps for designing and implementing the extracurriculars through the integrative medical approach

Extracurriculars are those that fall outside the scope of the academic curriculum. The purpose of the work is to outline the steps of planning extracurriculars, practice these steps in the medical program, and evaluate these steps.

Methods

Using Kern's steps with some modifications, we did some extracurricular reforms. Assessment of the current situation/needs and identification of gaps have been occurred by a questionnaire that revealed low students' satisfaction (36.1%) about the current extracurriculars with points of weakness that have been addressed in the improvement plan. A list of extracurriculars was prepared and aligned with modules and learning outcomes. Allocation of resources and implementation of these extracurriculars were performed. The evaluation was done through a questionnaire that was fulfilled by 404 students.

Results

Students' satisfaction was 66.8% in the second questionnaire compared to 36% in the initial questionnaire with a significant association. Further analysis of the respondents who revealed satisfaction showed that 95 out of 140 (67.8%) were high-grade achievers, 88 out of 134 (65.7%) for moderate, and 87 out of 130 (66.9%) in low-grade achievers. A comparison of the student's satisfaction in the three phases revealed a significant p-value (0.004), but no significance in students' satisfaction within phases of the program between males and females.

Conclusion

Well-structured extracurriculars might contribute to the achievement of the mission, vision, and goals of the program. Extracurricular activities might be flexible and undergo periodic changes related to the nature of the curriculum. Following the cycle of developing extracurricular activities in designing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting, the extracurricular activities will be more efficient in enhancing the learning climate and making the learning process more enjoyable, especially in a solid medical integrated curriculum.

Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome) and Academic Functioning: A Systematic Review and Agenda for Future Research

The past two decades have witnessed substantial interest in sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT), a set of symptoms (e.g., excessive daydreaming, mental confusion, slowed behavior) distinct from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other psychopathology symptoms. Despite evidence linking SCT to a range of functional outcomes, findings for academic functioning are unclear. The current review summarizes the literature on SCT and academic functioning and offers an agenda for future research. A systematic review was conducted to identify studies assessing SCT and academic outcomes, including academic impairments and performance, in childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Sixty studies were retained (53 cross-sectional, 7 longitudinal) from 44 separate samples, with the majority (n = 32, 53%) assessing global ratings of academic impairment and fewer measuring specific academic domains or standardized achievement test scores. Findings were generally consistent in showing SCT to be correlated with global ratings of academic impairment, lower grades, and inconsistently associated with poorer math and reading scores. Findings were more mixed when controlling for ADHD symptoms, intelligence, and/or demographic factors. Overall, SCT is associated with poorer academic functioning, although inconsistencies and key limitations are common across studies. Ten directions for future research are offered to advance understanding of how SCT may be associated with or impact academic functioning.

The Effect of Web-Based Biology Learning Environment on Academic Performance: A Meta-analysis Study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of web-based biology learning environment in improving academic performance via a meta-analysis. In looking for the studies on web-based biology learning environment, several keyword patterns from the abstracts (e.g., Pattern 1: web-based learning and biology education) were recruited in well-known databases (e.g., ERIC, EBSCO, Springer Link). Finally, 22 papers were apparent for the current meta-analysis examining the effect of web-based biology learning environment on academic performance. All statistical data from the studies were initially inserted into an Excel sheet and then imported into comprehensive meta-analysis (CMA) statistics software to calculate Hedges' g values. The overall effect-size of web-based biology learning environment pointed to a medium effect. Also, it was found that the educational level and type of experimental design, as moderator variables, did not positively affect the students' academic performance along with web-based biology learning environment. In light of the findings, it can be concluded that web-based biology learning environment is somewhat effective at improving the students' academic performance. The current study recommends that further studies should be undertaken to deepen the implementation processes of the studies with extreme values and explore what makes them unique.

Students are at risk? Elucidating the impact of health risks of COVID-19 on emotional exhaustion and academic performance: role of mindfulness and online interaction quality

Although previous online learning studies have looked at how student outcomes are influenced in different settings, this study is unique in that it looks at the role of COVID-19 as a particular stressor. This study discussed how students' perceptions of health risks of COVID-19 (PHRC) influenced their academic performance through emotional exhaustion. This study also looked at how mindfulness and online interaction quality (OIQ) affected PHRC's direct effects on exhaustion, as well as PHRC's indirect effects on academic performance via exhaustion. The data for the current study were collected from 336 students in three waves who were studying online during COVID-19. The results through structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that PHRC influenced academic performance. The results further revealed that mindfulness and OIQ attenuated the direct effects of PHRC on emotional exhaustion as well as indirect effects on academic performance through emotional exhaustion. This study provides some novel implications for practice and research.

Predicting academic performance associated with physical fitness of primary school students using machine learning methods

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the relationship between physical fitness and the academic performance of primary school students and to predict the academic performance associated with physical fitness using machine learning methods. The results provide new evidence confirming the relationship between physical fitness and the academic performance of primary school students. This study provides a practical foundation for early intervention methods to improve the physical fitness and academic performance of primary school students via physical exercise.

METHODS

A total of 432 fifth-grade students from five primary schools in Huai'an, China, were selected using the cluster sampling method. Their physical fitness was evaluated in terms of their body mass index, muscle strength, flexibility, speed, and aerobic endurance. The final exam scores in Chinese, mathematics, and foreign language were used to quantify their academic performance. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to investigate the differences in physical fitness between academic performance groups. The Spearman correlation analysis was used to quantify the relationship between physical fitness and academic performance. Machine learning models based on random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and K-nearest neighbor (KNN) algorithms were used to predict the academic performance of primary school students. The respective prediction performances of machine learning models were evaluated using the accuracy and validated in the test sample.

RESULTS

The body mass index (z = -2.046, p < 0.05) of high-score (HS) primary school students was lower than non-high-score (NHS) students, and the upper limb (z = -2.143, p < 0.05), trunk (z = -3.399, p < 0.05), and lower limb strength (z = -2.525, p < 0.05) and aerobic endurance (z = -2.105, p < 0.05) of HS students were better than NHS students. The academic performance of primary school students was negatively correlated with body mass index (r = -0.105, p < 0.05) and positively correlated with upper limb (r = 0.11, p < 0.05), trunk (r = 0.175, p < 0.05), and lower limb strength (r = 0.13, p < 0.05) and aerobic endurance (r = -0.108, p < 0.05). The average accuracy of RF, SVM, and KNN models in predicting the academic performance of primary school students in training samples were 59.4% ± 5.16%, 56.41% ± 3.81% and 57.89% ± 4.98%, respectively, which were found to be higher than baseline accuracy, as validated in the test sample.

CONCLUSION

The body mass index, muscle strength, and aerobic endurance of primary school students are significantly different between academic performance groups and are correlated with their academic performance. Machine learning methods can effectively predict academic performance associated with the physical fitness of primary school students.

Do personal and behavioural characteristics of physiotherapy students predict performance during training and course completion?

BACKGROUND

Specific personal and behavioural characteristics are required for competent health care practice. Research investigating relationships between these characteristics and course performance of health professions students is expanding, yet little research is conducted within the undergraduate physiotherapy student population. This study aimed to explore the relationships between personality, approaches to learning, and coping strategies of undergraduate physiotherapy students and their performance in academic, clinical and in-course assessment tasks and course progression.

METHODS

Participants from six cohorts of undergraduate physiotherapy students (commencing years 2012-2017, 66% response rate) completed questionnaires measuring personality (NEO-FFI-3), approaches to learning (RASI) and coping strategies (Brief COPE). Correlation and multiple regression analysis were conducted to investigate relationships between scores on written examinations, in-course assessment tasks and assessments of clinical performance. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare subgroups on these measures in those who completed or did not complete the course.

RESULTS

Conscientiousness and a strategic approach to learning predicted higher scores in written examinations, and for most clinical and in-course assessments with conscientiousness being a stronger predictor. A lack of purpose (surface) learning approach was predictive of lower clinical placement scores. Non-course completers had higher scores for lack of purpose (surface) approach to learning and lower scores for the coping strategies of support seeking and humour.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms the importance of conscientiousness and a strategic learning approach on the academic and clinical performance of undergraduate physiotherapy students. Identifying learners with a surface learning approach and low support seeking coping strategies could assist in providing support to students at risk of poor performance and minimising attrition.

Sedentary behaviours and their relationship with academic performance in adolescents: A mediation analysis

The present research aims to examine the relationship between the four dimensions of sedentary behaviours and academic performance, as well as to test the association between sedentary behaviours and academic performance in boys and girls in a sample of Spanish adolescents. A total of 2,216 adolescents aged 11 to 16 years old, both males (13.30 ± 0.92) and females (13.06 ± 0.86), participated. Sleep duration, physical activity, and sedentary behaviours were measured through questionnaires. Academic performance was assessed with students´ marks. Potential confounders such as sex, age, socioeconomic status, and cardiorespiratory fitness were also measured. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, analysis of differences, and multiple mediation analysis were conducted. It was observed that girls spend more time on sedentary educational or social behaviours, while boys spend much more time on screen time. Sedentary behaviours such as educational time, screen time, and relaxing time were associated with academic performance. Specifically, educational time appears to be positively related to academic performance. Nevertheless, screen time and relaxing time were negatively associated with academic performance. The multiple mediation analysis revealed that screen time was the most negative behaviour on academic performance. The outcomes are discussed to improve knowledge about sedentary behaviours and academic performance.

Impact of COVID-19 on the academic performance and mental health of HBCU pharmacy students

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the use of distance learning, which may hinder academic success. Moreover, students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have been adversely affected by COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of online/hybrid learning on the academic performance and mental health of HBCU pharmacy students during COVID-19.

METHODS

A survey was developed to assess how COVID-19 affected the mental health and academic performance of pharmacy students who attend a HBCU. The survey collected demographic information and student responses using a Likert-type, multiple-choice, and select all that apply questions.

RESULTS

Most participants were women, African American, unemployed, and between the ages of 18 to 25. Most students did not experience a confirmed case of COVID-19 while enrolled. The majority of participants self-identified as visual learners, and most students somewhat or strongly agreed that online learning created a feeling of isolation from teachers and classmates. Furthermore, most students somewhat or strongly agreed that online learning during COVID-19 negatively affected their stress levels and mental health. Many students also disagreed that the faculty displayed empathy towards students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

Though most students felt isolated and changed their study habits during COVID-19, they were allowed to freely manage their time and did not find it more challenging to learn and retain information. Unfortunately, mental health and stress levels were negatively impacte,d and there was a significant number of students that felt there was a lack of empathy from faculty members.

The developmental unfolding of substance use disorder symptoms and academic achievement in the transition into and out of college

This study aimed to explore the prospective associations between both alcohol and cannabis use (frequency and DSM-5 substance use disorder symptom counts) as they relate to academic performance over a period of ∼ four years. The study members were students enrolled in college in the Southeastern United States (N = 209, 62 % female, 90 % white). Baseline survey data were obtained in the first year of college while participants finished the follow-up assessments ∼ 1 and ∼ 4 years from baseline (80+ % retention rates). We aimed to tease apart antecedent from consequence in the associations between substance use and academic performance using a sophisticated modeling technique that accounts for between-person influences in evaluating within-person change over time. Results showed that greater alcohol use disorder symptoms in the first year of college were associated with a within-person decline in grades in the second year of college. This was not demonstrated for alcohol or cannabis frequency, alcohol quantity, or cannabis use disorder symptoms or in relation to the later developmental transition out of college. In addition to widely implemented prevention efforts, these results indicate that screening first-year college students for alcohol use disorder symptoms and connecting them with resources and treatment may be beneficial in attempts to promote academic performance.

The Development of School Satisfaction in Chinese Early Adolescents: The Contributions of Peer Liking and Academic Performance

Research in Western countries has shown a general declining trend of school satisfaction over time among adolescents, yet it remains unclear how social and school factors predict the developmental pattern. Moreover, relative to their Western counterparts, adolescents in China tend to report lower levels of school satisfaction, but little is known about how it develops and the predictors of the development. To fill the gaps, this four-wave longitudinal study explored the developmental patterns of school satisfaction and the contributions of peer liking and academic performance. Six hundred and eighty-nine Chinese adolescents (M_age = 11.39, SD_age = 0.53 at Time 1; 53.7% girls) participated in this study from Grade 6 to Grade 9 in 2017 to 2020. School satisfaction was measured each academic year using self-reports. Peer liking was assessed by classroom-based sociometric nominations, and information on academic performance was collected through school records in Grade 6. The conditional growth curve model results showed that peer liking and academic performance positively predicted the intercept of school satisfaction. School satisfaction decreased over time among students with low initial academic achievement, but increased in an exponential manner among students with high initial academic achievement. The results indicated that peer relationships and academic performance might play a role in affecting the level and the development of school satisfaction in the Chinese context.

Mother-Adolescent Perceived Parenting Profiles and Mexican-origin Adolescents' Academic Performance

Mothers and adolescents often perceive parenting differently, but it is unclear how different profiles of mother-adolescent perceived parenting and developmental transitions of such profiles would influence adolescent academic performance longitudinally. The current study adopted a three-wave dataset of 604 Mexican-origin adolescents (54% female; Mwave1.age = 12.92 years) and 595 mothers. Adolescents who agreed on high levels of positive parenting with their mothers in early adolescence (i.e., the Both High group) and stayed in the Both High group demonstrated the best academic performance in late adolescence. However, adolescents who changed from the Both High group in early adolescence and ended with discrepancies in perceived parenting or an agreement on low positive parenting with mothers in late adolescence had the worst academic performance. The findings suggest the plasticity of mother-adolescent relationships during adolescence, which can be an intervention target to improve Mexican-origin adolescent academic performance.

Nut consumption and academic performance among adolescents: the EHDLA study

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between nut consumption and academic performance in Spanish adolescents and to explore the role of sociodemographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle covariates on this association.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out using a food frequency questionnaire for estimating nut consumption in the number of 20-30 g servings per week, and academic performance data were obtained from school records. Analyses of covariance were adjusted for sociodemographic, anthropometric and lifestyle covariates, including total energy intake.

RESULTS

Among the 846 adolescents included in the analyses (55.3% girls, age range from 12 to 17 years), the mean ± standard deviation consumption of nuts was 2.7 ± 2.8 servings per week, while the mean of all school grades recorded was 6.5 ± 2.0. Furthermore, compared to no consumption, the consumption of ≥ 3 nut servings per week was consistently associated with higher grades in language (p for trend = 0.005), combination of language and math (p for trend = 0.026), grade point average (p for trend = 0.039), and combination of all school records (p for trend = 0.046). These associations were observed regardless of all covariates considered, although sex and socioeconomic level played a significant role in the completely adjusted models.

CONCLUSION

Nut consumption is associated with higher academic performance in a representative sample of Spanish adolescents. These cross-sectional results should be confirmed in longitudinal and intervention studies.

Effects of a blended design of closed-book and open-book examinations on dental students' anxiety and performance

BACKGROUND

While closed-book examinations (CBEs) have traditionally been implemented in dental education, open-book examinations (OBEs) are being introduced for the purpose of acquiring higher levels of knowledge and promoting long-term memory. This study examines whether it is effective to use a blended assessment of CBEs and OBEs for dental students to reduce test anxiety and enhance academic performance.

METHODS

Using a quasi-experimental research method, a blended assessment that combined CBEs in class and OBEs online was designed for a dental course. In 2020, when the pandemic was at its peak, student assessment was ineffective, and the 2020 cohort was omitted for our study; instead, two cohorts of predoctoral dental students (N = 178) enrolled in Restorative Dentistry in the spring semesters of 2019 and 2021 were included in the study. These students were informed about the experimental design, and they provided written consent for data collection, thereby voluntarily participating in the survey. Their self-perceived responses to open-ended survey questions on assessment methods were qualitatively analyzed.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in test anxiety between the CBEs and OBEs at the p-values of 0.001 in all items. Traditional and blended assessment showed a similar trend of lower scores in midterm exams compared to higher scores in final exams, thus discriminating against students' performances. In particular, a low-achieving group was better predicted by a blended assessment. An analysis of the students' self-perceived responses produced highly topical themes, including exam burden, learning effects, and fairness issues.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirmed the feasibility of blended assessment that can be implemented in online and in-person educational environments. Moreover, it can be used as the groundwork to develop new models of assessment in dental education.

Exploring adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among Ugandan university students: its associations with academic performance, depression, and suicidal ideations

BACKGROUND

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among university students have been linked to a variety of factors and have been shown to have a dose-response relationship with adult health and behavior.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of exposure to ACEs on academic performance, depression, and suicidal ideations among university students.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey among university students at a public university in southwestern Uganda was conducted in 2021, integrating the Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire for assessing ACEs, the Patient Health Questionnaire for assessing depression symptoms and suicidal ideations, and questions assessing the family structure and academic performance as adopted from similar studies. Regression analysis was performed, and 3 models were generated to answer the study hypotheses.

RESULTS

A total of 653 undergraduate university students with a mean age of 22.80 (± 3.16) years were recruited. Almost all students (99.8%) experienced one or more ACEs, with physical abuse being the common ACE reported. The average depression symptom severity was statistically higher among individuals who experienced any form of ACEs. No relationship was observed between the ACEs experienced and self-rated academic performance. Similarly, on regression analysis, the cumulative number of ACEs was not associated with self-rated academic performance (β =  - 0.007; 95% CI - 0.031 to 0.016; p = 0.558). However, the cumulative number of ACEs was positively associated with depression symptom severity (β = 0.684; 95% CI 0.531-0.837; p < 0.001), as well as increased the likelihood of suicidal ideations (aOR = 1.264; 95% CI 01.090-1.465; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The burden of ACEs is exceedingly high among Ugandan university students, highlighting the urgency in strengthening effective child protection strategies to protect Uganda's rapidly growing population from mental ill-health and avoid future psychological disability, a burden to the healthcare system. The study's findings will also be useful to practitioners/policymakers working to prevent/limit child maltreatment globally.

Impact of Sleep Pattern of Pharmacy College Students on Academic Performance

Purpose

Disrupted sleep pattern has shown to impact the mental health of medical sciences students. However, few studies assessed its association with academic performance, and the impact of other factors among pharmacy students. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between different sleep pattern variables and academic performance among pharmacy students.

Methods

A cross-sectional study using self-administered survey was distributed to all students at a large pharmacy college in Saudi Arabia between November 2020 and February 2021. The students were asked to answer based on their sleep pattern and academic performance in the previous year of 2019-2020 (before COVID-19 lockdown).

Results

237 students completed the survey. Shorter sleeps before exams and taking medicines for insomnia were significantly associated with failing at least one course (adjOR = 0.78 and 3.68; 95% CI 0.63-0.97 and 1.18-11.49; P = 0.028 and 0.025, respectively). As such, for each extra hour of sleep/night on exam nights, there is a 0.22 lower odd of failing at least one course, and taking insomnia medications increases the odds of failing by 3.68 times. Fewer sleep hours were significantly correlated with tiredness upon wake up, daytime sleepiness, and in-class sleepiness (r s  = - 0.24, - 0.38, and - 0.24, respectively; P ≤ 0.001 for all correlations).

Conclusions

Disrupted sleep pattern negatively impacted the academic performance of pharmacy students. Getting sufficient quality sleep, especially before exams, maybe associated with better performance and lower odds of course failures. College administrators should encourage good sleep hygiene to their students and pair the recommendations with evidence on the impact of sleep on academic performance.

Poor Quality of Sleep is Associated with Lower Academic Performance in Undergraduate Dental Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose

This study aimed to assess the quality of sleep and associated factors among dental students.

Methods

All dental students regularly enrolled at the Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil, were invited to participate. A structured online questionnaire was applied to collect the independent variables, including academic performance. Quality of sleep was assessed by the validated version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Sample was dichotomized as good sleep quality (total score: ≤ 4) and at least poor quality (total score: ≥ 5). Adjusted analyses were performed using Poisson regression with robust variance to detect the association between sleep quality and independent variables. Independent adjusted models were performed to the whole-sample, only undergraduate and only graduate dental students.

Results

Poor quality of sleep was detected in 266 (65.2%) dental students, of which 228 (68.9%) and 38 (49.4%) were undergraduate and graduate dental students, respectively. Female students presented a prevalence ratio (PR) 19% higher compared to males (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.41). When only graduate students were considering, those that reported not being the head of the family presented a PR 4.39 higher for poor quality of sleep (95% CI 1.91-10.09). Poor quality of sleep was associated with lower academic performance among undergraduate students (PR: 0.94; 95% CI 0.89-0.99), but not significantly associated when graduate students are considered (PR: 0.99; 95% CI 0.96-1.03).

Conclusion

It was concluded that dental students, mainly female ones, have high prevalence of poor quality of sleep, which is associated with undergraduate student's worst academic performance.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41782-022-00223-2.

Social media addiction in university students in Lebanon and its effect on student performance

Objective: This study aims to assess addiction to social media among university students and to explore the association of addiction to social media with academic performance. Methods: A random sample of 997 university students filled in a self-administered questionnaire using Google form (response rate 81%). The questionnaire adopted a validated scale (Social Media Addiction Scale, SMAS) and included questions about socio-demographics. Grade point average, absences, and passing rate were extracted for each student from the university management system. Results: Results showed that each of the three dimensions of addiction to social media (compulsive feelings, social consequences and time displacement) reduce at least one indicator of academic performance (GPA, absenteeism and passing rate). Conclusion: Results call to design and evaluate interventions that tackle different social media addiction dimensions to reduce their negative impact on academic performance.

The impact of COVID-19 on academic performance among college-level students

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the impact of COVID-19 on university students' academic performance. Participants: Our sample consisted of students 18 years old and above enrolled at least part-time during the Spring 2020 semester. Methods: This cross-sectional survey examined the individual, social, and economic impacts of COVID-19 on academic performance. We examined factors associated with a change in GPA between the two semesters. Results: Most students reported no change in GPA. Students of color had significantly increased odds of reporting a decrease in GPA than non-Hispanic White students (OR = 2.70, 95% CI: 1.01, 7.16). Students who had someone close to them test positive for COVID-19 had increased odds of reporting a decrease in GPA (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 0.55, 5.93). Conclusion: Higher learning institutions may need to develop strategies to improve support for students that have been socio-economically impacted by COVID-19.

Mindfulness and Academic Performance of College and University Students: A Systematic Review

Higher education's expectations place demands on students' attainment, leading them to experience stress and anxiety, which negatively affect their academic improvement and life satisfaction. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate (a) if mindfulness as an inner ability is related to academic attainment, through dependent variables, including compassion, engagement, stress or anxiety state, depression, self-efficacy, mindfulness's facets (non-reactivity, acting with awareness) and (b) if mindfulness-based interventions positively affect the academic performance of college and university students. The systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement. PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library Wiley were screened to identify studies published relevant to the topic. In total, 568 papers were retrieved in the initial search. Five papers met the eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review: a randomized controlled trial, a non-randomized controlled trial, a quasi-experimental study, a quantitative exploratory pilot study, and a longitudinal randomized controlled study. Most interventional studies revealed a non-significant direct effect of practicing mindfulness technique on academic attainment. Further research, especially randomized controlled trials are necessary to clarify the effect of mindfulness on academic performance of college and university students.