The effects of the school environment on student health: A systematic review of multi-level studies

Bonell, Chris; Parry, W. E.; Wells, Helene; Jamal, Farah; Fletcher, Adam; Harden, Angela; Thomas, James; Campbell, Rona; Petticrew, Mark; Murphy, Simon; Whitehead, Margaret; Moore, Linda

doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2012.12.001

Cited by 124 publications

(121 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…2 Note as well that, in addition to the geographical area in question, adolescents' school peers may influence their substance use (Bonell et al, 2013). Unfortunately, we did not have information about which schools the adolescents in this study attended (to preserve their anonymity).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban landscapes of adolescent substance use

Pedersen

Bakken

2016

Acta Sociologica

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Cities are increasingly organized according to socio-spatial divisions in which groups with similar characteristics live in the same areas. This social polarization is associated with differences in living conditions, health, morbidity and mortality. Traditionally, 'areas of disadvantage' have also been associated with increased risk of harmful substance use. However, some recent studies suggest that 'areas of affluence' may socialize adolescents into high levels of alcohol consumption. Using a combination of city district-level socio-economic data and surveys of adolescents, we investigated patterns of substance use in different city districts of Oslo, Norway, with the aim to shed more light on these conflicting previous findings. We found that adolescents in the affluent parts of Oslo West reported the highest levels of recreational smoking, snus use and alcohol use. Those in the poorer Oslo Central East reported the highest levels of daily smoking, alcohol problems and cannabis use. After controlling for individual-and family-based risk factors, significant area differences remained, except with regard to alcohol problems and cannabis use. We conclude that adolescents living in affluent areas report the highest use of several psychoactive substances, but in a manner that is usually compatible with a rather health-oriented lifestyle. By contrast, those from socioeconomically disadvantaged districts near the city centre use substances in a manner that may have greater potential for social marginalization, morbidity and mortality.Original Article 3

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban landscapes of adolescent substance use

Pedersen

Bakken

2016

Acta Sociologica

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“…For instance, significant between-school variability has been identified among Canadian youth for obesity [2], physical activity [3], sedentary behaviour [4], alcohol and marijuana use [5], and smoking [6]. Although the school context appears to be an important determinant of behaviour [7], comprehensive inventories of school characteristics that may impact behavioural development (i.e., programs, policies, and built environment resources within or surrounding schools) are typically not systematically collected or examined in school-based prevention research [8]. Few researchers have the data required to adequately understand how the school environment impacts youth health behaviour development.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The COMPASS study: a longitudinal hierarchical research platform for evaluating natural experiments related to changes in school-level programs, policies and built environment resources

et al. 2014

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BackgroundFew researchers have the data required to adequately understand how the school environment impacts youth health behaviour development over time.Methods/DesignCOMPASS is a prospective cohort study designed to annually collect hierarchical longitudinal data from a sample of 90 secondary schools and the 50,000+ grade 9 to 12 students attending those schools. COMPASS uses a rigorous quasi-experimental design to evaluate how changes in school programs, policies, and/or built environment (BE) characteristics are related to changes in multiple youth health behaviours and outcomes over time. These data will allow for the quasi-experimental evaluation of natural experiments that will occur within schools over the course of COMPASS, providing a means for generating “practice based evidence” in school-based prevention programming.DiscussionCOMPASS is the first study with the infrastructure to robustly evaluate the impact that changes in multiple school-level programs, policies, and BE characteristics within or surrounding a school might have on multiple youth health behaviours or outcomes over time. COMPASS will provide valuable new insight for planning, tailoring and targeting of school-based prevention initiatives where they are most likely to have impact.

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“…Various factors such as school size; sector; organisational system; and school socio-economic status (SES), which is based on the post-code of the school, have been implicated [38][39][40][41][42][43][44]. The contribution of school contextual factors to post-transition functioning in a mainstream Australian sample remains unexplored.…”

Section: Effect Of School Contextual Variables On Ac and Mhfmentioning

confidence: 99%

- Adolescent Health-Risk Behavior and Community Disorder

2015

Adolescent Mental Health

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Students negotiate the transition to secondary school in different ways. While some thrive on the opportunity, others are challenged. A prospective longitudinal design was used to determine the contribution of personal background and school contextual factors on academic competence (AC) and mental health functioning (MHF) of 266 students, 6-months before and after the transition to secondary school. Data from 197 typically developing students and 69 students with a disability were analysed using hierarchical linear regression modelling. Both in primary and secondary school, students with a disability and from socially disadvantaged backgrounds gained poorer scores for AC and MHF than their typically developing and more affluent counterparts. Students who attended independent and mid-range sized primary schools had the highest concurrent AC. Those from independent primary schools had the lowest MHF. The primary school organisational model significantly influenced post-transition AC scores; with students from Kindergarten -Year 7 schools reporting the lowest scores, while those from the Kindergarten -Year 12 structure without middle school having the highest scores. Attending a school which used the Kindergarten -Year 12 with middle school structure was associated with a reduction in AC scores across the transition. Personal background factors accounted for the majority of the variability in post-transition AC and MHF. The contribution of school contextual factors was relatively minor. There is a potential opportunity for schools to provide support to disadvantaged students before the transition to secondary school, as they continue to be at a disadvantage after the transition.

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The effects of the school environment on student health: A systematic review of multi-level studies

Cited by 124 publications

References 48 publications

Urban landscapes of adolescent substance use

Urban landscapes of adolescent substance use

The COMPASS study: a longitudinal hierarchical research platform for evaluating natural experiments related to changes in school-level programs, policies and built environment resources

- Adolescent Health-Risk Behavior and Community Disorder

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