Critical Connections: Health and Academics

Details

• Alternative Title:
  J Sch Health
• Personal Author:
  Michael, Shannon L ; Merlo, Caitlin L ; Basch, Charles E ; Wentzel, Kathryn R ; Wechsler, Howell
• Description:
  BACKGROUND
  
  While it is a national priority to support the health and education of students, these sectors must better align, integrate, and collaborate to achieve this priority. This article summarizes the literature on the connection between health and academic achievement using the Whole School, Whole Community, and Whole Child (WSCC) framework as a way to address health-related barriers to learning.
  
  METHODS
  
  A literature review was conducted on the association between student health and academic achievement.
  
  RESULTS
  
  Most of the evidence examined the association between student health behaviors and academic achievement, with physical activity having the most published studies and consistent findings. The evidence supports the need for school health services by demonstrating the association between chronic conditions and decreased achievement. Safe and positive school environments were associated with improved health behaviors and achievement. Engaging families and community members in schools also had a positive effect on students' health and achievement.
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  
  Schools can improve the health and learning of students by supporting opportunities to learn about and practice healthy behaviors, providing school health services, creating safe and positive school environments, and engaging families and community. This evidence supports WSCC as a potential framework for achieving national educational and health goals.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Adolescent Child Educational Status Food Services Health Behavior* Health Education Health Status Humans Meta-Analysis As Topic Motor Activity Nutritional Sciences Organizational Culture School Health Services Schools Students

  More +
• Source:
  J Sch Health. 2015; 85(11):740-758.
• Pubmed ID:
  26440816
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC4606776
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Name as Subject:
  Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child
• Volume:
  85
• Issue:
  11
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:92a85ca27790006f6e147e1c57bf3610d701aea723f65ae59bd973b62dc63710
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/35117/cdc_35117_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 232.33 KB ]