Maddison Linker
Research Mentor(s): Kimson Johnson
Department or Program: Institute for Social Research, Survey Research Center
Authors: Maddison Linker, Anisha Chopra, Kimson E. Johnson PhD, MA, MSW
Session: Session 1: 12:00pm-12:50pm
Poster: 51
Abstract
As the educational landscape evolves, it becomes imperative to understand key factors influencing the quality of education in K-12 schools on health along with the metrics used for assessment. Current literature, primarily focuses on educational attainment rather than educational quality. To fill this current gap in the literature, we conducted a narrative literature review to examine the current research landscape to characterize the relationship between the quality of K-12 education and health over the life course. A search was conducted across academic databases, including PubMed, SCOPUS, and ERIC. We conducted a literature search to identify relevant peer-reviewed academic articles, books, and reports on K-12 educational quality and health in the U.S. from 2004 – 2024. Studies were excluded from this review if they were conducted prior to 2004, were not peer-reviewed, were identified as grey literature, and studies were conducted outside of the United States. Our preliminary findings suggest educational quality is multidimensional and impacts health outcomes in many ways. We found that school health and nutrition as an indicator of educational quality was not prioritized in current school policies and programs, despite the associations with their impact on health outcomes. Findings from this review will help researchers, educators, and policymakers identify the importance of including school health and nutrition as an integral metric of educational quality to support and improve the health of K -12 learning environments now and in the future.
