Morningness-eveningness preferences,learning approach and academic achievement of undergraduate medical students

ABSTRACT

Several studies have focused on determining the effect of chronotype and learning approach on academic achievement separately indicating that morning types have an academic advantage over the evening types and so have the deep learners over the surface learners. But, surprisingly none have assessed the possible relationship between chronotype and learning approach. So, the current study aimed to evaluate this association and their individual influence on academic performance as indicated by the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) as well as the effect of their interaction on academic performance. The study included 345 undergraduate medical students who responded to reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire and Biggs Revised Two-Factor Study Process Questionnaire. Morning types indulged in deep learning while evening types in surface learning. Morning and evening types did not differ on academic performance but deep learners had better academic outcomes than their counterparts. The interaction between chronotype and learning approach was significant on determining academic achievement. Our findings gave the impression that chronotype could have an impact on academic performance not directly but indirectly through learning approaches.     

Chronotype preferences of college students from varied altitude backgrounds in Ethiopia

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to compare chronotype preferences of college students from high- and low-altitude backgrounds living in a tropical setting of Ethiopia. Chronotype (morningness–eveningness) is a preference for a given time of day for physical or mental activities. The present cross-sectional study employed Horne and Osteberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaires to evaluate chronotype preferences. The chronotype preference of 264 male college students from varied altitude backgrounds indicated significant differences (p < 0.001). Our findings confirm our hypothesis, of the prevalence of M-types dominant chronotype among college students at low than high altitude. However, we did not confirm our second hypothesis, since students from high-altitude backgrounds were generally I-type dominant chronotype. Similarly, students’ academic performances from low- compared to high-altitudes backgrounds also indicated significant differences (p < 0.003). Better academic performances were seen in students with I-type chronotype orientations from high altitudes.     

Helping Science and Drug Development to Succeed through Pharma-Academia Partnerships: Yale Healthcare Conference 2013

The theme of the 2013 Yale Healthcare Conference was “Partnerships in Healthcare: Cultivating Collaborative Solutions.” The April conference brought together leaders across several sectors of health care, including academic research, pharmaceuticals, information technology, policy, and life sciences investing. In particular, the breakout session titled “Taking R&D Back to School: The Rise of Pharma-Academia Alliances” centered on the partnerships between academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies. Attendees of the session included members of the pharmaceutical industry, academic researchers, and physicians, as well as graduate and professional students. The discussion was led by Dr. Thomas Lynch of Yale University. Several topics emerged from the discussion, including resources for scientific discovery and the management of competing interests in collaborations between academia and the pharmaceutical industry.     

Changes in biological anthropology: results of the 1998 American Association of Physical Anthropology Membership Survey

In response to the results of the 1996 survey of the membership of the American Association of Physical Anthropology (AAPA), the Executive Committee of the Association sponsored a follow-up survey designed to assess gender and specialty differences in training, employment, academic status, mentoring, and research support. A total of 993 questionnaires was analyzed, representing approximately 62% of the 1998 membership of the Association. There has been a marked shift in the number of males and females in the discipline from the 1960s to the 1990s. While 51.2% of all respondents are female and 48.8% are male, 70% of the students are female. Chi-square tests indicate significant differences between males and females by highest degree, age, status, obtaining a tenure-track position, receiving tenure, and taking nontenure-track employment before receiving a tenure-track position. In recent years, there has been an increasing number of females in the ranks of assistant and associate professors; however, this is not true for the rank of professor. There are also significant differences between males and females by specialty within the discipline: researchers in primatology, human biological variation, skeletal biology, and paleopathology are primarily female, while researchers in human and primate evolution are increasingly female.     

Reducing overweight through a multidisciplinary school-based intervention

Objective: This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary elementary school—based intervention entitled Wellness, Academics & You. The primary areas of impact examined were BMI, consumption of fruits and vegetables, and physical activity. Research Methods and Procedures: The sample consisted of 1013 students in fourth and fifth grades from 69 classes in four states. Intervention and comparison classes were randomly selected at each school. Intervention teachers participated in workshops on the intervention and received program materials. BMI was calculated for baseline and post‐data points based on measured height and weight collected by trained research teams. Baseline surveys were administered by the students’ teacher in the presence of one of the research team members and collected. Results: SPSS (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL) analysis of post‐data shows significant positive shifts (p = 0.01) in BMI in the intervention group compared with the comparison group. Notable increases in the consumption of fruits and vegetables and increased physical activity levels were reported in the intervention group. Discussion: Data from this study indicate that this school‐based program may contribute to the reduction of overweight and obesity. The intervention was well received by the classroom teachers and shows promise for a school‐based obesity prevention initiative. This program has shown the capacity to effect positive changes in BMI through consumption of fruits and vegetables and physical activity. The evaluation covered a limited time period and, therefore, warrants additional studies to determine whether long‐term program fidelity will result in continued improvement.     

Leaks in the pipeline: separating demographic inertia from ongoing gender differences in academia

Identification of the causes underlying the under-representation of women and minorities in academia is a source of ongoing concern and controversy. This is a critical issue in ensuring the openness and diversity of academia; yet differences in personal experiences and interpretations have mired it in controversy. We construct a simple model of the academic career that can be used to identify general trends, and separate the demographic effects of historical differences from ongoing biological or cultural gender differences. We apply the model to data on academics collected by the National Science Foundation (USA) over the past three decades, across all of science and engineering, and within six disciplines (agricultural and biological sciences, engineering, mathematics and computer sciences, physical sciences, psychology, and social sciences). We show that the hiring and retention of women in academia have been affected by both demographic inertia and gender differences, but that the relative influence of gender differences appears to be dwindling for most disciplines and career transitions. Our model enables us to identify the two key non-structural bottlenecks restricting female participation in academia: choice of undergraduate major and application to faculty positions. These transitions are those in greatest need of detailed study and policy development.     

Childhood Overweight and Academic Performance: National Study of Kindergartners and First‐Graders

Objective: To examine the association between children's overweight status in kindergarten and their academic achievement in kindergarten and first grade. Research Methods and Procedures: The data analyzed consisted of 11, 192 first time kindergartners from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, a nationally representative sample of kindergartners in the U.S. in 1998. Multivariate regression techniques were used to estimate the independent association of overweight status with children's math and reading standardized test scores in kindergarten and grade 1. We controlled for socioeconomic status, parent‐child interaction, birth weight, physical activity, and television watching. Results: Overweight children had significantly lower math and reading test scores compared with nonoverweight children in kindergarten. Both groups were gaining similarly on math and reading test scores, resulting in significantly lower test scores among overweight children at the end of grade 1. However, these differences, except for boys’ math scores at baseline (difference = 1.22 points, p = 0.001), became insignificant after including socioeconomic and behavioral variables, indicating that overweight is a marker but not a causal factor. Race/ethnicity and mother's education were stronger predictors of test score gains or levels than overweight status. Discussion: Significant differences in test scores by overweight status at the beginning of kindergarten and the end of grade 1 can be explained by other individual characteristics, including parental education and the home environment. However, overweight is more easily observable by other students compared with socioeconomic characteristics, and its significant (unadjusted) association with worse academic performance can contribute to the stigma of overweight as early as the first years of elementary school.     

Issues and developments on the consumer recovery construct

The consumer recovery model has had increasing influence on mental health practices in the United States, Western Europe, and several other countries. However, adoption of the model has reflected political decisions rather than empirical evidence of the validity of the model or its value for treatment services. The recovery construct is poorly defined, and until recently there has been no reliable and valid measure with which to base a research program. We have developed an empirical measure that is well-suited for both research and clinical applications: the Maryland Assessment of Recovery in Serious Mental Ill-ness (MARS). We briefly describe the MARS and present preliminary data demonstrating that recovery is not a simple by-product of traditional outcome do-mains, but seems to be a distinct construct that may have important implications for understanding consumers with serious mental illness and for evaluating the outcome of treatment programs.     

Obesity in Adolescence Predicts Lower Educational Attainment and Income in Adulthood: The Project EAT Longitudinal Study

Objective

Prospective associations between obesity in adolescence and adult socioeconomic outcomes, and potential mediators, were examined in a contemporary cohort.

Methods

Longitudinal data collected in 1998 to 1999 (Project EAT‐I) and 2015 to 2016 (EAT‐IV) were analyzed for 1,796 participants who provided data at both time points. Adolescents (mean age = 14.8 years) self‐reported demographic and psychosocial variables (EAT‐I) and follow‐up outcomes (EAT‐IV). Body weight and height were directly measured. Bachelor's degree or more education, income ≥ US $50,000, and partnered status at follow‐up were examined by baseline obesity (>95th BMI percentile) using logistic regression. Self‐esteem, depression, and weight‐related teasing were examined as mediators using multivariate probit regressions. All analyses were adjusted for race, baseline age, and parent socioeconomic status.

Results

Girls with obesity were significantly less likely to have achieved a bachelor’s degree (OR 0.32, 95% CI [0.18, 0.58]; P < 0.001), earn ≥ $50,000 annually (OR 0.57, 95% CI [0.33, 0.99]; P < 0.04), or be partnered (OR 0.45, 95% CI [0.27, 0.75]; P < 0.002) in adulthood. No associations were observed among boys. Among girls, depression mediated 8.5% and 23.6% of the association between adolescent obesity and adult education and income, respectively.

Conclusions

Adolescent girls with obesity have lower educational attainment and income and are less likely to be partnered in later adulthood. Depression may partly mediate the associations.