Associations Between Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors and Academic Performance in U.S. Undergraduates: A Secondary Analysis of the American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment II

Purpose. To examine associations between academic performance and moderate-vigorous physical activity, strength training, fruit and vegetable intake, and sleep. Design. Cross-sectional observational study. Setting. Forty U.S. colleges and universities participating in the Fall 2008 National College Health Assessment-II (NCHA-II) (median response, 27%). Subjects. A total of 16,095 undergraduate students (18-24 years; 70.3% female). Measures. Self-reported lifestyle variables from the NCHA-II questions were dichotomized as meeting or not meeting public health recommendations. Grade average ranged from 1.00 to 4.00 points. Analysis. Linear regression, adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related variables. Results. The prevalence of meeting public health recommendations was as follows: moderate-vigorous physical activity, 41.9%; strength training, 32.4%; fruit and vegetable intake, 4.6%; and sleep, 23.6 %. Grade average was higher in students meeting moderate-vigorous physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, and sleep recommendations (p <= .019). If moderate-vigorous physical activity was met, grade average was higher by .03 points, .15 points higher when meeting fruit and vegetable intake recommendations, and .06 points higher for sleep. There was no significant change in grade average in those meeting strength-training recommendations. Conclusion. College students who adhere to public health recommendations for lifestyle behaviors have modestly higher grade averages after adjusting for sociodemographic and negative health behaviors.