Does the school setting matter? Examining associations between school and classroom settings and health behaviours among students in Ontario

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Low rates of physical activity and high rates of cannabis use among adolescents are concerning given the health outcomes associated with these health behaviours. Although individual-level characteristics are strongly associated with physical activity and cannabis use, research also suggests that the school setting may influence these health behaviours. PURPOSE: To: 1) Determine the extent to which students’ cannabis use and physical activity vary across school and classroom settings, 2) Identify characteristics of the school setting that are associated with cannabis use and physical activity among students in grades 6-12 in Ontario. METHODS: This study used data from the School Mental Health Surveys, a cross-sectional school-based survey of 31,124 students, 3,373 teachers, and 206 principals from 248 schools across Ontario. Multilevel modelling was used to explore school and class effects while controlling for student compositional effects. RESULTS: About 5% of the variability in student physical activity and 14% of the variability in student cannabis use was attributable to between school and classroom differences. Students’ perception of school climate was positively associated with physical activity, and negatively associated with cannabis use. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the potential influence of the school and classroom environment on students’ physical activity and cannabis use. School and classroom contexts may be important environments for targeted interventions, policies and programs.