Increased Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Higher Efficacy Beliefs Are Associated with Better Academic Achievement: A Longitudinal Study of High School Adolescents in Lebanon

Joyce Hayek, Hein de Vries, Maya Tueni, Nathalie Lahoud, Bjorn Winkens and Francine Schneider
Additional contact information
Joyce Hayek: Department of Health Promotion, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 Maastricht, The Netherlands
Hein de Vries: Department of Health Promotion, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 Maastricht, The Netherlands
Maya Tueni: Department of Biology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Sciences II, Lebanese University, Fanar P.O. Box 90656, Lebanon
Nathalie Lahoud: Pharmacoepidemiology Surveillance Unit, Center for Research in Public Health (CERIPH), Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Fanar P.O. Box 90656, Lebanon
Bjorn Winkens: Department of Methodology and Statistics, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 Maastricht, The Netherlands
Francine Schneider: Department of Health Promotion, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 Maastricht, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-16

Abstract: This longitudinal study aims to examine how changes in health behaviors and socio-cognitive factors influence the academic achievement of Lebanese adolescents over a period of 12 months. Adolescents ( n = 563) from private and public schools in Mount Lebanon and the Beirut area, aged between 15 and 18, participated in a three-wave longitudinal study and completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing socio-demographics, health behaviors, socio-cognitive factors, parenting styles, and academic achievement. A linear mixed model was carried out to examine if changes in health behaviors and cognitive factors affect changes in academic achievement after 6 and 12 months from the baseline, adjusting for demographic variables and parenting style. Results show that improved adherence to the Mediterranean diet and an increase in self-efficacy were associated with an increase in academic achievement. An increase in adherence to the Mediterranean diet had the same effect on academic achievement 6 and 12 months from the baseline, whereas an increase in efficacy beliefs was only significantly associated with achievement at 12 months from the baseline. This study supports the longitudinal link between diet quality and efficacy beliefs with the academic achievement of adolescents. This relationship is independent of sex, age, religion, parents’ education, and raising styles.

Keywords: health behaviors; socio-cognitive factors; academic achievement; adolescents; Lebanon (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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