Psychophysiological Stress Markers and Behavioural Differences between Rural and City Primary School Students

Abstract

Academic performance could be affected by multiple factors, including stress and learning environment location. The aim of this study was to analyze differences in psychophysiological stress markers, behavior and academic performance of rural and city students. A sample of 181 children (7.91 ± 2.29 years) from elementary schools were evaluated on their grades, subjective academic performance, heart rate variability, state anxiety, nutritional information and physical activity habits. Results presented significant higher values in parasympathetic modulation and physical education grades in rural students than in city students, who showed higher significant values in state anxiety, the ability to complete tasks, physical activity habits and several items relating to their food and drink habits. No significant differences were found in the average grades between the two groups. However, some correlations were found between school performance and stress, physical fitness and nutritional habits. Thus, school location may affect the stress and anxiety status, nutritional habits and physical activities of students, but there were no significant differences in academic performance. In addition, body mass index, quantity of food intake and stress markers may be related to the academic performance attained.

The Impact of Nationality on the Psychophysiological Stress Response and Academic Fulfilment in the Final Degree Dissertation

“…When we compared the mean academic achievement for the whole physiotherapy degree, no differences between the three groups were found, showing how a well-defined academic model can be implemented equally, regardless of nationality. In this line, the relationship between autonomic stress response variables and academic fulfilment has been analyzed in other research [ 11 , 16 , 21 , 35 ], showing no significant correlations between HRV parameters and academic achievement, in line with this research.…”

“…Nevertheless, Italian and French students maintained a high sympathetic response during the whole defense. This insufficiency habituation could be due to nationality differences that have a connection for example with the alertness level shown in each social and cultural environment, since previous studies have shown how some cultural elements, such as school location, could affect the stress and anxiety response [ 21 ]. Other study areas such as psychology found Colombian students in a clinical simulation scenario presented a higher parasympathetic modulation than Spanish students.…”

“…Different contextual parameters can modulate the stress response, such as nutrition, psychological profile, physical activity, as well as, nationality [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. Overweightness and obesity are negatively related with academic performance, as well as the poorer aerobic fitness of students [ 22 ].…”

Autonomic Profile, Physical Activity, Body Mass Index and Academic Performance of School Students

“…Previous studies conducted in higher education stage showed how the psychological profile of students is an important variable to keep stress under control [34,35], which is essential to reach a correct learning process [36]. The academic environment generates stress that can be detected by the heart rate variability (HRV) measurements [37], being a useful tool to analyze autonomic nervous system dysregulation due to the stress in early educational stages [38]. The cathartic function of physical activity is an interesting utilitarian dimension for students [39,40], reducing their sympathetic activation and stabilizing their autonomic modulation.…”

The Effect of Psychology Objective Structured Clinical Examination Scenarios Presentation Order on Students Autonomic Stress Response

“…In this line, individual differences like some personality factors or previous life experiences would impact on the ability to modulate the stress response making some people more vulnerable (Saravanan and Wilks, 2014;Hood et al, 2015). In the confrontation of a OSCE scenario in which the students' clinical abilities are evaluated is expected an autonomous sympathetic activation, as previous studies reported (Sánchez-Conde et al, 2019), causing an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, the liberation of cortisol that would negatively affect neurons communication in pre-frontal cortex, fact that could negatively affect cortical process as memory, attention, planning, decision making or reflective thinking (Diamond, 2013;Starcke et al, 2016;Beltrán-Velasco et al, 2020;Mendoza-Castejón and Clemente-Suárez, 2020;Mendoza-Castejon et al, 2020;Ruisoto et al, 2021). Then, to minimize the negatives effect of stress in students, the complex or difficult scenarios must be place after easier ones.…”