Health-Related Behaviors and Academic Achievement Among College Students

Abstract

Purpose: College students' academic achievement has crucial implications for their future success. Students' health may be a key determinant of academic performance, but more research is needed to understand this relationship.

Design/setting/subjects: Secondary analysis of the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment III pre-COVID-19 Spring 2020 dataset. N = 39 146 undergraduates at 75 higher education institutions (14% mean response rate, comparable with other large-scale national college health surveys).

Measures: Self-reported grade point average (GPA) and 33 health behaviors in the categories of dietary behavior, physical activity, sedentary behavior, substance use, sexual risk behavior, violence-related behavior, mental health, and sleep behavior.

Analysis: Weighted cross-tabulations examining the association between GPA and health behaviors; multinomial logistic regressions assessing if behaviors predicted GPA, controlling for year, sex/gender, and race/ethnicity. Individual GPA categories were also compared to a D/F referent group.

Results: There were gradient trends across GPA categories for A through D/F (18 behaviors) or A through C (12 behaviors) (P < .001). Each health behavior predicted GPA differences (P < .001), except heroin use (P = .052). The A GPA group was significantly different from the D/F GPA group for 27 behaviors (P < .001). In general, protective behaviors corresponded with higher GPAs and most risk behaviors were associated with lower GPAs.

Conclusions: There is a link between numerous health behaviors and academic performance. Stakeholders invested in college students' health and academics should engage in mutually beneficial strategies to safeguard students' current and future well-being and success.

Keywords: academics; achievement; colleges; education; grade point average; health; students; universities.