Does a child’s health impact their grades in school?  YES!  What can students do to improve their health and grades?  Consuming at least one fruit and one vegetable daily and not drinking sugary beverages are just a few, what are the other keys to success?

According to the Minnesota Department of Education’s student survey, there are six “health assets” that if met, have a direct correlation or effect on student’s performance in school.  The chart below lists the six different health assets and what it takes to meet these benchmarks.   

The next two graphs are showing results from the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey in Minnesota.  This information is reported directly from students in 8th, 9th and 11th grade.  As illustrated in the graphs, 40% of students say they meet at least 4 of the 6 health assets (graph 1), and the more health assets a student meets, the more likely they are to get A’s in school. 

What can we do with this information?  As parents and educators, we can help students meet as many health assets as possible.  Below is a list of several different ideas and ways to help our students meet their assets and hopefully, as a result, improve their performance in school.

• Provide more opportunities for movement and physical activity for your child and family
  • Local parks, bike rides, walks, playing outside, group games, obstacle courses, open gyms at schools or community venues
• Include a fruit and vegetable with breakfast or dinner every day
  • Try to include as many different colored fruits and vegetables as you can
• Slowly decrease or omit the purchase of sugar-sweetened beverages (over time)
  • Replace with milk, water, or infused-water (lemon, fruit, mint, cucumber)
• If needed, contact school nurse or social worker to discuss options to improve access to food
• Make it a point to consume 3 meals a day with your family
• Be a good role model for your child and try to put into practice these various indicators to improve their health and your own!

For more information, feel free to contact your school nurse or Wellness Committee member.

 "Supported by the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership, Minnesota Department of Health and Dakota County Public Health Department"