There’s a link between unhealthy behavior and bad grades, according to a new study of high school students by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study doesn’t show that one causes the other, the authors said. But it underlines that good grades are far from just a matter of intelligence. Most importantly, the study suggests that educators would do well to work together with public health workers to help problem kids.
The study compared students’ grades and test scores with their health-related behaviors. It asked questions about 30 unhealthy behaviors that rank as contributing to leading causes of sickness and death in adolescents.
Those behaviors included:
- alcohol or marijuana use at least one day during the past month, or if they had ever tried a harder drug
- having sex without a condom or having sex with four or more people
- skipping breakfast
- watching TV or playing video games at least three hours a day
Having behaviors such as those was significantly more associated with kids who made D’s and F’s in school, the study found.
Other studies have suggested similar findings in the past, but they had shortcomings such as being limited in geography or they were outdated. According to the CDC, the new study’s findings hold, regardless of the student’s sex, grade level, race and ethnicity.
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