Binge drinking and smoking are associated with worse academic performance in Canadian undergraduate students

Abstract

Objective

Test the hypothesis that smoking, fast-food consumption, and binge drinking were negatively associated with academic performance in Canadian undergraduate students.

Participants

Undergraduate students across Canada [n = 411 (335♀) aged: 22 ± 4 years] completed a questionnaire regarding their lifestyle behaviors and academic grades.

Methods

Relationships between lifestyle behaviors and academic performance were assessed via covariate-adjusted multiple regressions. Mediation models were used to test whether significant relationships between smoking/fast-food and grades were explained by binge drinking.

Results

Smoking (β= −4.00, p < .001) and binge drinking (β= −1.98, p = .002) were independent predictors of grades (average: 84 ± 8%). Binge drinking partially mediated the relationships between smoking (indirect effect β= −1.19, 95%CI [−2.49, −0.08] and fast-food consumption (indirect effect: β= −.75, 95%CI [−1.20, −0.29]), with grades.

Conclusions

These findings highlight the negative influence of binge drinking, smoking, and fast-food consumption on academic success, with binge drinking as a partial mediator of these relationships.

Keywords:

• Alcohol consumption
• fast-food consumption
• mediation analysis
• nicotine
• university

Acknowledgments

Conceptualization, B.D.S, L.P.P., N.W.B., J.R.F., J.A.F., am, T.S.N. and M.W.O.; Data curation, B.D.S, L.P.P., N.W.B., J.R.F., J.A.F., am, T.S.N. and M.W.O.; Formal analysis, B.D.S. and M.W.O.; Investigation, B.D.S; Methodology, B.D.S., L.P.P., N.W.B., J.R.F., J.A.F., am, T.S.N. and M.W.O.; Project administration, N.W.B.; Resources, N.W.B., J.R.F., J.A.F., am, T.S.N. and M.W.O.; Supervision, M.W.O.; Writing—original draft, B.D.S.; Writing—review and editing, B.D.S., L.P.P., N.W.B., J.R.F., J.A.F., am, T.S.N. and M.W.O. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of Canada and received approval from the Dalhousie Research Ethics Board.

Data availability

Data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

B.D.S., L.P.P. and M.W.O. were supported by a Fredrick Banting and Charles Best CIHR Master’s (B.D.S. & L.P.P.) or Doctoral (M.W.O.) Award. B.D.S. & M.W.O. were supported by Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship. M.W.O. was supported by a Heart & Stroke BrightRed Scholarship and a Research Nova Scotia—Scotia Scholars Award, and a Killam PreDoctoral Scholarship.