Preface

**Section 2 Interventions for a Successful Health-Academic**

Chapter 7 **Relationships and School Success: From a Social-Emotional**

Chapter 8 **Prevention of Internalized Problems of Children and Youth in**

Chapter 10 **The Role of Resilience and Psychological Well-Being in School Engagement and Perceived Academic Performance: An Exploratory Model to Improve Academic Achievement 159** Arantzazu Rodríguez-Fernández, Estibaliz Ramos-Díaz and Inge

Chapter 11 **Academic Self-Efficacy, Approach to Learning and Academic**

Chapter 12 **From Comfort Zone to Reality: A Community Engagement to Enhance Student's Academic Performance 197**

Adilson Marques, Charles Hillman and Luís Sardinha

Luis M. Ruiz-Pérez, Miguel A. Gómez-Ruano and José A. Navia-

Chapter 13 **Physical Activity Practice, Sleeping Habits and Academic**

Marcela Verešová and Lucia Foglová

Chapter 14 **Physical Activity, Aerobic Fitness and Academic**

**Achievement Binomy 101**

**VI** Contents

**Learning Perspective 103** Chiaki Konishi and Tracy K.Y. Wong

**Academic Setting 123**

**Interventions 143** Thomas Matingwina

**Achievement 177**

Welcome Mswazi Kubeka

**Achievement 213**

**Achievement 235**

Manzano

Axpe-Saez

Miranda Novak and Josipa Mihić

Chapter 9 **Health, Academic Achievement and School-Based**

The universal rights to health and education must be guaranteed for the entire population, and they should be accompanied by quality, as established by the United Nations Educa‐ tional, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In this sense, good health and edu‐ cation ensure the proper development of citizens and a decent life. To assess how close we can be to these objectives, studies must be done on the assessment of the quality of health we have and the education we receive. From this, we should address the areas of opportuni‐ ty that are telling us what must be changed. We live in a world with increasing rates of met‐ abolic diseases that can occur along with mental illness among others. These clinical conditions can reduce the performance of children and young people as students. While it is important to work on the quality of teaching, it is also important to know what the factors are and how they impact the academic performance of students. This motivated the devel‐ opment of this book, entitled *Health and Academic Achievement*. It is a compilation of 14 chap‐ ters written by authors around the world who are expert in their disciplines. This book is organized in two sections and will take you on a lecture of Challenges in School Environ‐ ments in the first one. Stressing factors that increase failure in academic achievement are addressed. In four chapters a background of internal and external stressing factors such as overload, oxidative stress, bullying, or drug abuse are reviewed to know the biological re‐ sponses and the negative impact on executive functions and mental health. You will also find a valuable last chapter about a study of challenges of community college counselors when working with students experiencing mental health disorders. The second section of the book on Interventions for a Successful Health and Academic Achievement Binomy is formed of eight chapters. You will find a review about social relationships and emotional well-being in adolescent students related to academic achievement, and practices to foster family and teacher relationships with students. Also, the contributors present a review of the consequences in emotional health related to internalized problems in children and ado‐ lescents, therapeutic strategies, and prevention in the school environment, followed by a study that critically examines the concept of health, the connection with goals, and effective school-based interventions in academic achievement. Resilience is addressed in an original contribution to relate it to psychological well-being and academic performance in 12–17 year-old students through structural models. Another original contribution relates academic self-efficacy with two approaches of learning and academic achievement in young students and is followed by an original descriptive study about community engagement and its im‐ pact from the view of 10–19-year-old students. Due to the wide body of research that has proved the strong links between health behaviors and academic achievement, the last two chapters are reviews of physical activity practice, sleeping habits, and cardiorespiratory fit‐ ness on cognitive function and goals in young students. Due to the characteristics of this book as a whole and the quality of the chapters that comprise it, we are sure that the reader

will find in it a valuable point of reference to meet and discuss the growing information on health and education. Thanks to all the contributing authors who generously gave their work to this collective initiative and were patient with the process of publication. I hope readers find this book useful and I wish it reaches every decisive person in a way that finds the optimal development of our students' talents and potential.

**Blandina Bernal-Morales, PhD**

**Section 1**

**Challenges in School Environment**

Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico

**Challenges in School Environment**

will find in it a valuable point of reference to meet and discuss the growing information on health and education. Thanks to all the contributing authors who generously gave their work to this collective initiative and were patient with the process of publication. I hope readers find this book useful and I wish it reaches every decisive person in a way that finds

> **Blandina Bernal-Morales, PhD** Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico

the optimal development of our students' talents and potential.

VIII Preface

**Chapter 1**

**Provisional chapter**

**Introductory Chapter: Writing about Health and**

**Introductory Chapter: Writing about Health** 

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.80421

Academic achievement has become a topic of great interest in recent decades. It arises as the result of a school process and its corresponding evaluation for the fulfillment of the learning objectives. The study of academic achievement has included different variables beyond cognitive aspects, like social and motivational aspects, which together anticipate an adequate academic result [1]. Some of these variables are related to personal aspects of the students within affective dimensions and are also related to the methodological implementations that the teacher uses in scholar settings [2]. Other variables are learning styles and strategies, as well as cognitive preferences (intentions and self-obligations), emotional preferences (desires), and behavioral habits [3]. These parameters are constructs that have been placed in an important way to understand how different conditions influence school learning and academic performance [4]. Thus, good academic performance can be understood as a synonym for academic achievement, since it is defined as the acquisition of knowledge and goals obtained in students, which are evaluated by qualitative and quantitative methods after the implementation of educational strategies [5]. The evaluation of academic performance can include exams, grades, teacher reports, or direct observations of classroom behavior, among others [6]. Only the cognitive potential is considered through the eyes of others most of the time; however, it is essential to consider the self-assessment of academic performance under academic stress [7] or under different levels of support that students perceive and receive from their environment. The family is the main group that contributes to an adequate social, emotional, and economic context for the development of the individual [8]. The adequate level of family support together with an optimum level of school confidence is a significant predictor of the degree of

> © 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

© 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use,

distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

adaptation in which the student faces and resolves problematic situations [9, 10].

**Academic Achievement**

**and Academic Achievement**

Cecilia Luz Balderas-Vazquez and Juan Francisco Rodríguez-Landa

and Juan Francisco Rodríguez-Landa

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80421

**1. Academic achievement**

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Blandina Bernal-Morales, Cecilia Luz Balderas-Vazquez

Blandina Bernal-Morales,

#### **Introductory Chapter: Writing about Health and Academic Achievement Introductory Chapter: Writing about Health and Academic Achievement**

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.80421

Blandina Bernal-Morales, Cecilia Luz Balderas-Vazquez and Juan Francisco Rodríguez-Landa Blandina Bernal-Morales, Cecilia Luz Balderas-Vazquez and Juan Francisco Rodríguez-Landa Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80421

## **1. Academic achievement**

Academic achievement has become a topic of great interest in recent decades. It arises as the result of a school process and its corresponding evaluation for the fulfillment of the learning objectives. The study of academic achievement has included different variables beyond cognitive aspects, like social and motivational aspects, which together anticipate an adequate academic result [1]. Some of these variables are related to personal aspects of the students within affective dimensions and are also related to the methodological implementations that the teacher uses in scholar settings [2]. Other variables are learning styles and strategies, as well as cognitive preferences (intentions and self-obligations), emotional preferences (desires), and behavioral habits [3]. These parameters are constructs that have been placed in an important way to understand how different conditions influence school learning and academic performance [4]. Thus, good academic performance can be understood as a synonym for academic achievement, since it is defined as the acquisition of knowledge and goals obtained in students, which are evaluated by qualitative and quantitative methods after the implementation of educational strategies [5]. The evaluation of academic performance can include exams, grades, teacher reports, or direct observations of classroom behavior, among others [6]. Only the cognitive potential is considered through the eyes of others most of the time; however, it is essential to consider the self-assessment of academic performance under academic stress [7] or under different levels of support that students perceive and receive from their environment. The family is the main group that contributes to an adequate social, emotional, and economic context for the development of the individual [8]. The adequate level of family support together with an optimum level of school confidence is a significant predictor of the degree of adaptation in which the student faces and resolves problematic situations [9, 10].

© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

There are cases where the students with high intellectual abilities do not reach an acceptable academic performance. This is often the result of a lack of motivation. Motivation is considered an agent both internal and external to the individual, which emerges as the cognitive representation of performance objectives [11] and significantly influences each of the actions taken during the educational training process. Motivation facilitates to achieve goals and increases the probability to reach successful academic results [12]. However, the competitiveness generated in the school environment puts the individual's competences and abilities to be tested, as well as the degree of commitment of the students, which together with the school overload can decrease motivation [13–15]. The responses to school demands and competitiveness presumably depend to a large extent on the environment, the subjective evaluation and the behavior of the individual. So people can increase their effort under situations in their environment that demand competence [16].

number of children and adolescents (5–19 years) who were overweight and obese increased significantly. The highest rates for this population group were registered in Polynesia and Micronesia, with prevalence close to 23%, followed by the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Among the countries of Latin America with high rates of obesity are Bahamas (17.3%), Argentina (16.9%), Chile (15.2%), Dominican Republic (15%), and Mexico with 4.8% of the obese population under 19 years [30]. In this regard, it has been shown that physical activity and practicing sports in students facilitate capacities to be able to respond appropriately to tasks [31], improve cognitive functioning [32], and predict better scores on standardized tests for mathematics or sciences [33, 34]. Although, proper eating and sleeping habits are desirable [35], it has been found that students living in vulnerable households with low income have a poor quality of diet, which reduces the chances of having a good performance in school due to an inadequate contribution of energy, fatigue, and lack of attention [36, 37]. Among other factors attributed to school dropout, social detrimental scenarios involve students into problematic situations and encourage them to display inappropriate behaviors as the consumption of substances that generate addiction, crime, or violence [38]. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse [39], alcohol is the psychoactive substance that shows the highest consumption in young people worldwide (18.1 million), followed by marijuana (4.2 million), which generates the main health problems related to abuse substances. The consumption of these substances begins at early age (12–20 years), mainly in men [39–41] and brings with it the decrease of the executive functions related to attention and memory [40, 42], reduced goals, lower grades and school dropout as a measure of failed academic achievement [38]. The consumption of substances of abuse can be related to the lack of identity, reduced self-confidence, insecurity, and the degree to which the individual is self-considered a capable person [43]. Thus, an optimal level of self-esteem serves as a mediating element in stressful and negative situations [44], increasing the probability of adaptive responses [45] being a protective factor for avoiding unhealthy habits [41] and negative thoughts such as fear or sadness. When the feelings of fear and sadness are persistent and superior to moderate intensity, students could suffer anxiety or depression. The presence of symptoms of emotional distress, anxiety, and depression is negatively associated with the academic performance of students [46, 47] and increases suicidal ideation [48]. If suicide is the leading cause of death in young people between 10 and 24 years old [29], then more attention should be paid to attend mental health in school settings, moreover, when students often refer that psychological support in psycho-pedagogical department as inadequate or unnecessary to their situation [49]. Other elements that represent challenges for the student population are the academic demands coupled with work overload, as well as economic issues and health concerns, which generate a state of stress and trigger depressive and anxiety symptoms and to a lesser extent, situations of school and family abuse and mistreatment mainly in medical students [50–54]. Similar to the above, exposure to violence in the community negatively impacts effective learning and

Introductory Chapter: Writing about Health and Academic Achievement

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80421

5

increases acts of delinquency in young people [55].

So far, we have mentioned some of many evidences of the relation of physical and psychological health with performance in students. All these topics that have been addressed in a brief

**3. Concluding remarks**

## **2. Academic achievement relation with health**

Changes in effort and motivation are related to health risk behaviors such as addictions, alcohol consumption, poor eating habits, and violence [17–19]. These behaviors in turn cause physical problems and increase emotional health problems [20, 21]. The association between unhealthy behaviors and the decrease in the productivity of the individual related to academic achievement has been evidenced [22]. Risk behaviors among young people are closely related to low grades and lower educational attainment [23], whereas in a bidirectional model, healthy students reach a better academic achievement, which in turn is beneficial for health. According to the above, the acquisition of knowledge and learning requires a high degree of motivation and an adequate social environment, so that the individual is directed to implement academic actions and healthy personal habits that allow a healthy emotional and physical state, which ensure achievement of their school goals [24].

When talking about health, the reference is not only to the absence of illness but to the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being as established by the World Health Organization [25]. Therefore, the concept of health makes us to think about the physiological state in equilibrium within family relationships and sociocultural environment, which leads to adaptation and success. It is very important that the individual executes behavior to maintain an optimal state of health, in combination with the educational, social, and economic factors that play an important role [26]. The relationship between health and academic achievement is undoubtedly very close in both basic education and higher education [27]. The diagnosis of a chronic illness affects the dynamics of students in their school environment, produces some degree of disability, demands needs of complex medical attention, daily administration of medicines or the attention in an emergency. Students with chronic illnesses may have lower academic achievement, limited interactions with the work community, and fewer job opportunities as they enter adulthood [28]. Obesity, diabetes, epilepsy, and asthma are the main chronic diseases whose relationship with academic performance has been described [29].

Poor eating habits, physical inactivity, and overweight increase the likelihood of serious health complications, affecting equally individuals of all ages. According to WHO reports, in 2016, the number of children and adolescents (5–19 years) who were overweight and obese increased significantly. The highest rates for this population group were registered in Polynesia and Micronesia, with prevalence close to 23%, followed by the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Among the countries of Latin America with high rates of obesity are Bahamas (17.3%), Argentina (16.9%), Chile (15.2%), Dominican Republic (15%), and Mexico with 4.8% of the obese population under 19 years [30]. In this regard, it has been shown that physical activity and practicing sports in students facilitate capacities to be able to respond appropriately to tasks [31], improve cognitive functioning [32], and predict better scores on standardized tests for mathematics or sciences [33, 34]. Although, proper eating and sleeping habits are desirable [35], it has been found that students living in vulnerable households with low income have a poor quality of diet, which reduces the chances of having a good performance in school due to an inadequate contribution of energy, fatigue, and lack of attention [36, 37]. Among other factors attributed to school dropout, social detrimental scenarios involve students into problematic situations and encourage them to display inappropriate behaviors as the consumption of substances that generate addiction, crime, or violence [38]. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse [39], alcohol is the psychoactive substance that shows the highest consumption in young people worldwide (18.1 million), followed by marijuana (4.2 million), which generates the main health problems related to abuse substances. The consumption of these substances begins at early age (12–20 years), mainly in men [39–41] and brings with it the decrease of the executive functions related to attention and memory [40, 42], reduced goals, lower grades and school dropout as a measure of failed academic achievement [38]. The consumption of substances of abuse can be related to the lack of identity, reduced self-confidence, insecurity, and the degree to which the individual is self-considered a capable person [43]. Thus, an optimal level of self-esteem serves as a mediating element in stressful and negative situations [44], increasing the probability of adaptive responses [45] being a protective factor for avoiding unhealthy habits [41] and negative thoughts such as fear or sadness. When the feelings of fear and sadness are persistent and superior to moderate intensity, students could suffer anxiety or depression. The presence of symptoms of emotional distress, anxiety, and depression is negatively associated with the academic performance of students [46, 47] and increases suicidal ideation [48]. If suicide is the leading cause of death in young people between 10 and 24 years old [29], then more attention should be paid to attend mental health in school settings, moreover, when students often refer that psychological support in psycho-pedagogical department as inadequate or unnecessary to their situation [49].

Other elements that represent challenges for the student population are the academic demands coupled with work overload, as well as economic issues and health concerns, which generate a state of stress and trigger depressive and anxiety symptoms and to a lesser extent, situations of school and family abuse and mistreatment mainly in medical students [50–54]. Similar to the above, exposure to violence in the community negatively impacts effective learning and increases acts of delinquency in young people [55].

## **3. Concluding remarks**

There are cases where the students with high intellectual abilities do not reach an acceptable academic performance. This is often the result of a lack of motivation. Motivation is considered an agent both internal and external to the individual, which emerges as the cognitive representation of performance objectives [11] and significantly influences each of the actions taken during the educational training process. Motivation facilitates to achieve goals and increases the probability to reach successful academic results [12]. However, the competitiveness generated in the school environment puts the individual's competences and abilities to be tested, as well as the degree of commitment of the students, which together with the school overload can decrease motivation [13–15]. The responses to school demands and competitiveness presumably depend to a large extent on the environment, the subjective evaluation and the behavior of the individual. So people can increase their effort under situations in their

Changes in effort and motivation are related to health risk behaviors such as addictions, alcohol consumption, poor eating habits, and violence [17–19]. These behaviors in turn cause physical problems and increase emotional health problems [20, 21]. The association between unhealthy behaviors and the decrease in the productivity of the individual related to academic achievement has been evidenced [22]. Risk behaviors among young people are closely related to low grades and lower educational attainment [23], whereas in a bidirectional model, healthy students reach a better academic achievement, which in turn is beneficial for health. According to the above, the acquisition of knowledge and learning requires a high degree of motivation and an adequate social environment, so that the individual is directed to implement academic actions and healthy personal habits that allow a healthy emotional and

When talking about health, the reference is not only to the absence of illness but to the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being as established by the World Health Organization [25]. Therefore, the concept of health makes us to think about the physiological state in equilibrium within family relationships and sociocultural environment, which leads to adaptation and success. It is very important that the individual executes behavior to maintain an optimal state of health, in combination with the educational, social, and economic factors that play an important role [26]. The relationship between health and academic achievement is undoubtedly very close in both basic education and higher education [27]. The diagnosis of a chronic illness affects the dynamics of students in their school environment, produces some degree of disability, demands needs of complex medical attention, daily administration of medicines or the attention in an emergency. Students with chronic illnesses may have lower academic achievement, limited interactions with the work community, and fewer job opportunities as they enter adulthood [28]. Obesity, diabetes, epilepsy, and asthma are the main chronic diseases whose relationship with academic performance has been described [29].

Poor eating habits, physical inactivity, and overweight increase the likelihood of serious health complications, affecting equally individuals of all ages. According to WHO reports, in 2016, the

environment that demand competence [16].

4 Health and Academic Achievement

**2. Academic achievement relation with health**

physical state, which ensure achievement of their school goals [24].

So far, we have mentioned some of many evidences of the relation of physical and psychological health with performance in students. All these topics that have been addressed in a brief and general way above can be found in this book "Health and Academic Achievement" with the contributions that the authors present in a masterful way. School is the place where children and young people invest a great part of their lifetime; therefore, it is important to understand the relationship between physical and psychological health conditions that deteriorate the academic performance of the individual. It should be noted that the early identification and adequate management of acute or chronic situations that compromise health will lead to better academic results, but above all, to improve the quality of life of students. Therefore, the commitment does not only fall on the policies or strategies that the educational institutions can implement, but also requires a commitment, effective orientation, and action leading the active participation of everybody to promote a state of complete well-being in the students.

[7] Pozos-Radillo BE, Preciado-Serrano M, Acosta-Fernández M, Aguilera-Velasco M, Delgado-García DD. Academic stress as a predictor of chronic stress in university stu-

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[8] Rodríguez L. El adolescente y su entorno: Familia, amigos, escuela y medios. Pediatría

[9] Novak D, Kawachi I. Influence of different domains of social capital on psychological distress among Croatian high school students. International Journal of Mental Health

[10] Novak D, Emeljanovas A, Mieziene B, Stefan L, Kawachi L. How different contexts of social capital are associated with self-rated health among Lithuanian high-school stu-

[12] Jaquinet M, Rivero M, Garnache A. La motivación en el rendimiento académico de los

[13] Arrieta Vergara KM, Díaz Cárdenas S, González Martínez F. Síntomas de depresión y ansiedad en jóvenes universitarios: Prevalencia y factores relacionados. Revista Clínica

[14] Kuech R, Sanford R. Academic competitions: Perceptions of learning benefits from a

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[16] Bedard K, Fischer S. Competition and Academic Performance: Evidence from a Classroom Experiment. Vol. 1704. San Luis Obispo, California, US: California Polytechnic State

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