Destin M, Debrosse R, Hernandez IA. Connections between academic motivation and benefits to low-grade inflammatory regulation among the socioeconomically advantaged.
J Adolesc 2024. [PMID:
39056284 DOI:
10.1002/jad.12384]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Working to reach school goals during adolescence and rise in the socioeconomic hierarchy can have unexpected negative consequences for physical health, which are often linked to inflammation. However, certain forms of academic motivation, like finding meaning in difficulty, can benefit health and well-being. The current study tests whether socioeconomic resources explain this paradox and moderate the relationship between motivational processes and indicators of inflammation among adolescents. Having greater socioeconomic resources may provide the circumstances necessary to experience a beneficial connection between higher school motivation and lower indicators of inflammation.
METHOD
Seventy-nine adolescents in the United States from diverse backgrounds completed a survey and health screening (59.6% girls, Mage = 14). The survey included a key measure of motivation indicating how students respond to experiences of academic difficulty. The health screening produced assays of C-reactive protein and interleukin 6 from antecubital blood samples, which provided an indicator of low-grade inflammation.
RESULTS
Multiple linear regression analyses demonstrated the expected pattern of moderation, such that students with high (but not low) socioeconomic resources experienced a positive connection between motivation and indicators of inflammatory regulation, especially C-reactive protein.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings provide an important contribution to understanding the complex links between achievement and health. Future research on the health costs of mobility should consider the health benefits of motivation that may be observed uniquely among the socioeconomically advantaged. Further, education institutions should promote motivation in ways that are connected to health sustaining forms of support for all students.
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