# data[].attributes.body
In the article on Hats.com, it clearly stated that there isn't a law against wearing hats.

AK

# data[].attributes.body
Some people don't get enough time in the morning to eat breakfast. Missing breakfast may result in a lack of focus to do things at school and stay positive. When there's an opportunity to eat food and fuel your body people are going to use it. Eating in school would allow a student to positively engage in school activities. This is why we should be able to use the vending machines whenever we want to and not be limited. - QO

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Abstract

Objective:

Research on the consequences of breakfast skipping among students tends to focus on academic outcomes, rather than student well-being or engagement at school. This study investigated the association between breakfast skipping and cognitive and emotional aspects of school engagement.

Design:

Cross-sectional study using data from a population-level survey of children and adolescents' well-being and engagement at school. Linear regression with adjustment for confounders was used to estimate the effect of breakfast skipping on school engagement.

Setting:

Government schools (i.e. public schools) in South Australia.

Participants:

The participants were students, Grades 4-12, who completed the Wellbeing and Engagement Collection in 2019. The analysis sample included 61 825 students.

Results:

Approximately 9·6 % of students reported always skipping breakfast, with 35·4 % sometimes skipping and 55·0 % never skipping. In the adjusted linear regression models, children and adolescents who always skipped breakfast reported lower levels of cognitive engagement ( β = −0·26 (95 % CI −0·29, −0·25)), engagement with teachers ( β = −0·17 (95 % CI −0·18, −0·15)) and school climate ( β = −0·17 (95 % CI −0·19, −0·15)) compared with those who never skipped breakfast, after controlling for age, gender, health, sleep, sadness and worries, parental education, socio-economic status and geographical remoteness.

Conclusion:

Consistent with our hypothesis, skipping breakfast was associated with lower cognitive and emotional engagement, which could be due to mechanisms such as short-term energy supply and long-term health impacts. Therefore, decreasing the prevalence of breakfast skipping could have a positive impact on school engagement.

Keywords: Breakfast skipping, Breakfast consumption, Children and adolescents, Student engagement, School climate, Wellbeing and Engagement Collection

A healthy breakfast is an important part of the diets of children and adolescents. Healthy breakfasts are typically high in nutrients like calcium and fibre, and going without breakfast can become a missed opportunity for the necessary energy and nutrients for growth and healthy development(1). Studies show that breakfast skipping is often clustered with other unhealthy behaviours, such as increased intake of discretionary food and low physical activity(2-4). There is also evidence that skipping breakfast can lead to poorer academic outcomes, making research exploring the relationship between breakfast and school outcomes of particular interest to a range of stakeholders, including government departments, educators and public health researchers(1,5).

An international systematic review of breakfast habits among children found that the prevalence of breakfast skipping ranged from 12 to 34 %(1). In this review, breakfast skipping was more prevalent among females, older children and children from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The prevalence of breakfast skipping was also higher among adolescents who reported smoking, had low physical activity, dieted and had body weight concerns. The most common reasons reported for skipping breakfast were lack of time, no appetite or dieting to lose weight. Further, skipping breakfast for some children may be influenced by the family level and community factors, including food insecurity and family structure(6-9). In Australia, the setting of this present study, the prevalence of breakfast skipping also tends to be higher among females and older children and adolescents(10). The 2011-2012 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey ( n 1592; 2-17 years old) found that 18·6 % of females and 13·2 % of males had skipped breakfast on at least one of two recall days, while the prevalence of skipping on both recall days was 3·8 % among females and 1·4 % among males(3).

Breakfast consumption has been associated with school performance and academic achievement(5,11,12). An Australian study found that breakfast skipping among 8-9-year-old children was associated with poorer academic outcomes as reported by teachers 2 years later as well as literacy and numeracy outcomes(11). A study in the Netherlands found that among students 11-18 years of age, skipping breakfast on any school day was associated with the poorer end of term grades(5). A systematic review on the effect of breakfast consumption on cognitive outcomes in children and adolescents found that eating breakfast had a positive effect on certain aspects of cognitive function measured (e.g. attention, executive function, and memory) within 4 h post-breakfast, compared with skipping breakfast(12). The authors also concluded that the effects of breakfast consumption were strongest among undernourished children, indicating that in some cases reducing the prevalence of breakfast skipping could have considerable positive effects among children most in need(12). Many observational studies on the effects of breakfast on academic and psychosocial outcomes, however, have failed to account for potential confounding by socio-economic factors(13-15).

In some countries, such as the USA, school breakfast programs have become a popular intervention to increase breakfast consumption. The evidence of school breakfast programs' impact on academic performance and behaviour in schools remains mixed. Randomised controlled trials of school breakfast programs in the USA, UK and New Zealand found little impact on outcomes such as attention, concentration, memory, behaviour, school attendance or academic achievement(16-18). On the other hand, some studies from the USA have found positive effects of breakfast programs on maths and reading scores and school attendance(19,20). It should also be noted that many studies of school breakfast programs report low attendance and no decrease in the prevalence of breakfast skipping(17,18,21,22).

The relationship between breakfast skipping and academic outcomes has been well studied, but the relationship between breakfast skipping and other school-related outcomes, such as school engagement, is relatively understudied(5,11,12,23). School engagement is a multifaceted construct that includes three main dimensions: behavioural, emotional and cognitive engagement(24). These dimensions are dynamic in themselves and capture how involved students are with school (behavioural), effort applied to learning (cognitive), attitudes to peers and teachers at school and how aspects of school are valued (emotional). School engagement has been identified as an important and potentially malleable predictor of positive school and later life outcomes(25,26). In a longitudinal Australian study, school engagement was associated with continuing education post-school and higher status occupations, after adjusting for socio-economic status (SES) in childhood and school-level variables (e.g. government or private, number of students)(27). Thus, school engagement may contribute to students' well-being while they are still at school and reduce rates of school dropout, making it an important outcome to study in addition to academic performance(28,29).

Using data from a population-level survey of children's well-being and engagement at school, the current study aimed to investigate the association between breakfast skipping and school engagement. In light of the studies that have previously found associations between breakfast skipping and other school outcomes, we hypothesised that there would be an association between breakfast skipping and school engagement, with children who skip breakfast experiencing lower cognitive and emotional engagement at school. Furthermore, since the systematic review identified differences in the prevalence of breakfast skipping by age, sex and SES(1), we investigated whether these factors also modified the association between breakfast skipping and school engagement, as this information may be important for targeting future breakfast policies and interventions.

Methods

Data source

The Wellbeing and Engagement Collection (WEC) is a population-level survey conducted annually in South Australian schools. The current study utilised data from the 2019 WEC. All South Australian schools ( n 715) were invited to participate in the 2019 WEC, and school-level participation rates of 89 % (government/public schools), 52 % (Catholic schools) and 19 % (independent schools) were achieved. A total of 95 973 students, from Grade 4 to 12, completed the WEC in 2019. In the current study, only WEC data from the students in government/public schools was utilised because this could be linked to enrolment census data held by the South Australian Department for Education to provide information on a range of child and family-level socio-demographic confounders.

The WEC survey is designed to be completed over one to two class periods at school, taking approximately 25-45 min to complete. The WEC measures four domains of student well-being and engagement: Emotional Wellbeing, Engagement with School, Learning Readiness, and Health and Wellbeing out of school, and many different constructs within each domain. These constructs (e.g. happiness, sadness, optimism) are measured using a combination of multi-item scales and single items(30). In this study, one measure of cognitive engagement and two measures of emotional engagement (Emotional Engagement with Teachers and School Climate) were used as outcomes. These are described in more detail below.

Ethical approval and consent

All identifying information was removed from the dataset (i.e. name, address, date of birth) before receiving it for analysis to ensure confidentiality. The sampling method consisted of inviting all primary and secondary schools in South Australia to participate. Schools were then free to decide if all or some classes would complete the WEC, and the parents and guardians of children in these classes received an information letter. This gave them time to withdraw their child if they so wished, and children could opt out themselves before or during the survey at any time.

Participants

The participants were students from government schools in South Australia, Grades 4-12, who completed the WEC in 2019. Figure ​Figure1 1 shows the number of schools and students in the 2019 enrolment census ( n 118 910). A total of 453 government schools participated in the WEC, and 77 322 students from these schools completed the WEC survey (67·6 % student participation rate). A small number of these students ( n 1005, 1·3 %) started the survey but did not complete enough items such that their responses were deemed invalid. The response sample was 76 317 students, of which 14 492 students were excluded as they had missing data on one or more of the outcome, exposure or confounder variables used in the analysis (see online Supplemental Table 1 for characteristics of response sample). The analysis sample included 61 825 students who had observations on all items used in this study (see Fig. ​Fig.1 1 ).

Measures

Exposure

Outcomes

Confounding

Potential confounders of the relationship between breakfast skipping and school engagement were selected prior to the analysis based on a causal model using directed acyclic graphs and consulting the literature (see online Supplemental Fig. 1). These included age, gender, overall health, sadness and worry; highest level of parent education; community level SES and geographical remoteness. Overall health was based on the item 'In general, how would you describe your health?' with a four-point response scale (poor = 1 to excellent = 4) categorised into low (poor and fair), medium (good) and high (excellent). Sleep was measured using a single item that asked students 'How often do you get a good night's sleep?', with response options '0 = Never' through to '7 = Everyday'. Sadness was measured using a three-item scale, which was adapted from the Depression subscale in the Seattle Personality Questionnaire(34,36). The sadness scale includes items such as 'I feel unhappy a lot of the time' and a five-point Likert scale (Strongly Disagree = 1 to Strongly Agree = 5). The three-item worry/anxiety scale was used to measure students' worries, including items such as 'I worry about things at home' and a five-point Likert scale (Strongly Disagree = 1 to Strongly Agree = 5). The following variables were made available through the linked school enrolment census data, which is based on the information given by parents or caregivers. Parent education was based on the highest level of education attained by a student's parents/caregivers (i.e. year 9 or equivalent or below; year 10 or equivalent; year 11 or equivalent; year 12 or equivalent; Certificate I to IV; Advanced Diploma or Diploma or Bachelor Degree or above). SES was based on the 2016 Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas' Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage for students' postcodes, which compares areas according to different aspects of socio-economic disadvantage or advantage. The Accessibility and Remoteness Index of Australia, according to students' residential postcodes (i.e. zipcodes), was used to distinguish students who live in major cities, inner regional, outer regional, remote or very remote areas of South Australia. The remote and very remote categories were combined due to small numbers. The constructs and measures used in this study are measured the same way (i.e. using the same items/scales) across all age groups.

Analysis

A series of linear regression models were used to test the effect of breakfast skipping on cognitive and emotional engagement before and after adjustment for confounders (described above). The children and adolescents who never skip breakfast were the reference category for the exposure variables in all analyses because most children were in this category and eating breakfast everyday is considered to be the ideal frequency. All three school engagement outcomes were confirmed to be normally distributed prior to analysis. A small number of students did not have data on all three outcomes. We explored if the effect estimates differed according to whether the analysis included students only with all three outcomes, exposures and confounders (main analysis; complete case sample), from an analysis where students had valid scores on one specific outcome but missing scores on another outcomes (response sample; see online Supplemental Table 2). The sample size for these three analyses varied between 63 441 and 64 001, depending on the amount of missing data on each outcome. The effect estimates using the complete case sample and the response sample were the same, suggesting non-completion on some outcomes did not influence the results. The effect measure modification analyses (see online Supplemental Appendix A) were conducted according to best epidemiological practice(37). The relative excess risk due to interaction was calculated to estimate the extent of effect measure modification on the risk difference scale, as this is considered most relevant for public health. The exposure, outcomes and effect modification variables were dichotomised for these analyses (see online Supplemental Appendix A).

Analyses were conducted using Stata se version 16.

Results

Table ​Table1 1 describes the demographic characteristics of students included in the analysis according to breakfast skipping categories (i.e. never, sometimes or always skips breakfast). In the analysis sample, 55·0 % of students reported that they ate breakfast everyday, 35·4 % reported sometimes skipping breakfast and 9·6 % reported always skipping breakfast (Table ​(Table1). 1 ). Always skippers tended to be older and female, with lower parent education and a higher proportion lived in lower socio-economic areas and regional areas. Children who reported always skipping breakfast often reported less nights of good sleep and increased sadness and worry compared with sometimes and never skippers. Of note is that the proportion reporting high overall health among never skippers (41·4 %) was similar to the proportion reporting low overall health among always skippers (48·5 %). All outcome variables showed a gradient across never, sometimes and always skipping, with students that never skip breakfast reporting higher levels of cognitive engagement, engagement with teachers and school climate. Students that never skip breakfast reported mean (sd) scores for cognitive engagement, emotional engagement and school climate of 4·0 (0·8), 3·2 (0·5) and 3·7 (0·8), respectively, while children who always skip breakfast reported scores of 3·2 (1·0), 2·8 (0·7) and 3·0 (1·0). Mean scores of students that sometimes skip breakfast were always in the middle. The demographic characteristics of the analysis sample were similar to the response sample (see online Supplemental Table 1).

Table 1

Exposure:

Never skips (n 34 018)

Sometimes skips (n 21 873)

Always skips (n 5934)

Total (n 61 825)

n

% or Mean

sd

n

% or Mean

sd

n

% or Mean

sd

n

% or Mean

sd

Outcomes

Confounders

Gender

Overall health

Sleep*

34 018

5·1

2·0

21 873

3·7

2·2

5934

2·5

2·4

61 825

4·4

2·3

Highest parent education

Socio-economic status †

Geographical remoteness ‡

The adjusted and unadjusted results of the linear regression of the association between breakfast skipping and school engagement outcomes are shown in Table ​Table2. 2 . The results are presented as unstandardised regression coefficients (i.e. the mean differences in outcome(s) relative to the reference group of never breakfast skippers) and 95 % CI. In the adjusted models, children who always skipped breakfast reported lower levels of cognitive engagement ( β = −0·26 (95 % CI −0·29, −0·25), P < 0·0001), emotional engagement with teachers ( β = −0·17 (95 % CI −0·18, −0·15), P < 0·0001) and school climate ( β = −0·17 (95 % CI −0·19, −0·15), P < 0·0001), compared with those who never skipped breakfast. Children who sometimes skipped breakfast also reported lower levels of engagement compared with children who never skipped breakfast, but not as low as always skippers. For example, after adjustment, the effect of always skipping on cognitive engagement was −0·26 (95 % CI −0·29, −0·25), P < 0·0001)), but the effect of sometimes skipping was only −0·08 (95 % CI −0·09, −0·07), P < 0·0001)).

Table 2

Cognitive engagement

Emotional engagement with teachers

School climate

Unadjusted β

95 % CI

Adjusted β

95 % CI

Unadjusted β

95 % CI

Adjusted β

95 % CI

Unadjusted β

95 % CI

Adjusted β

95 % CI

Across all school engagement outcomes, we found limited evidence of effect measure modification by sex, socio-economic position or age (see online Supplemental Tables 3- 6). For example, the within-stratum effects suggest a 19 % higher risk of poor cognitive engagement among males who sometimes/always skip breakfast compared with those who never skip breakfast (RR 1·19 (95 % CI 1·12, 1·26)) and a 33 % higher risk among females (RR 1·33 (95 % CI 1·24, 1·43)). However, the relative excess risk due to interaction of 0·01 (95 % CI −0·09, 0·12) indicates no effect measure modification by sex on the risk difference scale. That is, the combined risks of both breakfast skipping and sex was not greater than the sum of the individual risks of breakfast skipping and sex. There was limited evidence of effect measure modification by socio-economic position or age, with five of the six relative excess risk due to interaction estimates close to zero with 95 % CI that included zero. The single exception was the effect of breakfast skipping on school climate by age, with results suggesting this effect was larger in primary school compared with high school students. Full results for the effect measure modification analyses can be found in Supplemental Appendix A.

Discussion

There has been a great deal of research on the association between breakfast consumption and school outcomes, but these studies tend to focus on academic achievement and cognitive function (e.g. memory tests) rather than how students engage with schooling and teachers. This current study explored the latter, focusing on the relationship between breakfast skipping and two dimensions of school engagement; cognitive and emotional engagement. Consistent with our hypothesis, we found that skipping breakfast was associated with lower cognitive and emotional engagement at school. Children who reported always skipping breakfast had lower engagement scores compared with those that sometimes skipped breakfast or never skipped breakfast. These findings build on prior observational research of breakfast and school outcomes that used small sample sizes (ranging from n 97 to n 294) and/or did not adjust for potential confounding(5,13-15,23). For instance, one study found that regular breakfast consumption was associated with an improved emotional state among adolescents in South Korea ( n 62 276), but had not adjusted for any confounding(13). Although the prevalence of breakfast skipping is reported to differ according to age, sex and socio-economic position(1), we found limited evidence that this extended to the association between skipping and most outcome measurements of cognitive and school engagement. The only exception was the association between breakfast skipping and school climate, where the effect of breakfast skipping on school climate appeared larger for a primary school than high school students.

Considering that research has shown there is a substantial decline in school engagement as students move from primary school to high school(24,38), comparing the effect of this transition on school engagement with the effects observed in our study might offer a helpful comparison to put the magnitude of these effects in perspective(39). Normative data from the WEC suggests that the difference in mean scores observed for each outcome between children in their last 2 years of primary school compared with their first 2 years of high school in the 2019 WEC were −0·23 for cognitive engagement, −0·19 for emotional engagement with teachers and −0·27 for school climate(30). This suggests the adjusted effect sizes observed, for cognitive engagement (−0·26, (95 % CI −0·29, −0·24)) and emotional engagement with teachers (−0·17, (95 % CI −0·18, −0·15)) especially, are similar in magnitude to the decrease in engagement already experienced by students as they move through school, which is substantial.

These findings are consistent with previous research on the association between breakfast and school outcomes, such as academic achievement, which often require high levels of cognitive engagement to succeed(5,40,41). A study in the UK ( n 294, 14-15 years) found that after controlling for age, sex, BMI, ethnicity and SES, students who rarely (never or once a week) consumed breakfast on school days scored lower General Certificate of Secondary Education grades(23). In an Australian study, 8-9-year-olds who skipped breakfast ( n 2280) had poorer teacher-reported academic outcomes than children who did not skip breakfast. However, because there was only a slight difference observed for objective National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) results, the authors argued the results might be due to unmeasured cofounding between children who regularly skipped breakfast and teacher-reported outcomes(11). Similar to our study, these findings both suggest there is something about eating breakfast that can indeed impact school outcomes. Furthermore, levels of school engagement might be an indirect pathway through which breakfast impacts academic outcomes(5).

One possible mechanism for how breakfast influences school outcomes is that eating breakfast promotes glucose uptake in the brain. Glucose is the brain's main fuel source and provides energy to concentrate at school(42). Hence, if skipping breakfast means that children arrive at school hungry, are distracted and do not have much energy, they may be less emotionally and cognitively engaged(5). The quality of the breakfast may be pertinent if skipping breakfast was compared with eating a healthy breakfast. For instance, evidence shows low glycaemic index foods sustain blood glucose levels for longer periods, which can improve attention at school, compared with fasting or eating a high glycaemic index breakfast(43). Over a longer period of time, through improving the overall quality of children's diets, breakfast could impact school outcomes through long-term overall health promotion, which itself has been found to be associated with school engagement(44). A combination of these mechanisms could have contributed to the effects observed in this study. Increased breakfast consumption has been shown to have a stronger impact on school outcomes among undernourished children or children from lower socio-economic backgrounds, suggesting where gains can be made (i.e. in nutritional quality or less discretionary foods) it could have an impact on how students engage with school(12,19,45).

Strengths of this study were adjusting for a range of confounders and the large population-based sample, which allowed for the detection of small differences in engagement levels. There are some limitations that should be considered. While we adjusted for a community-level measure of SES and parental education, it is possible that the effect estimates remain residually confounded through factors such as socioeconomically patterned attitudes to health and education or family structure(8,46,47). Some measurement bias (e.g. low content validity) is common when using large population-level surveys, which can lead to unmeasured confounding. Research on the 2019 WEC has shown there is some bias in the WEC sample with children from more socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds under-represented(48). Further, there was no information on why children skipped breakfast. This information may provide a clearer relationship between breakfast skipping and school engagement, especially if the reason represents a confounding relationship, such as food insecurity. On the other hand, if most breakfast skippers reported it is because they are not hungry in the mornings, appetite is less likely to be a direct influence on school engagement.

The possibility that children report skipping breakfast because of food insecurity has driven much of the concern over breakfast skipping, however it is rarely given as a reason for skipping breakfast(49). Reasons that are commonly given by adolescents for skipping breakfast include lack of time, lack of appetite and/or dieting, and attitudes towards breakfast tend to be the strongest predictor of breakfast consumption(50-52). While interventions (e.g. school breakfast programs) aiming to increase breakfast consumption rarely achieve their goal, the most successful among them include persuasive messaging that increases positive attitudes towards breakfast(22,53,54). As such, schools and education departments may want to explore the impact of low cost, health promotion interventions in classrooms focussed on attitudes towards breakfast on breakfast consumption and school outcomes, including levels of engagement.

To conclude, this study demonstrated an association between skipping breakfast and cognitive and emotional engagement at school, among a large sample of school students in Australia, after adjustment for a comprehensive set of child and family-level confounders. Similar to studies on the effects of breakfast on academic performance, our study shows there could also be an important link between breakfast and students' engagement. Short-term energy supply and long-term health impacts are two possible mechanisms that may explain this association. Considering these findings, decreasing the prevalence of breakfast skipping could have a positive impact on school engagement.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements: None. Financial support: Authors received no specific funding for this work. Authorship: H.M.: conceptualisation, methodology, formal analysis, writing - original draft and editing. A.S.: conceptualisation, methodology, writing - review and editing and supervision. T.G.: methodology, writing - review and editing, supervision. L.S.: methodology, writing - review and editing and supervision. Ethics of human subject participation: Ethics approval for this study was granted by the University of Western Australia, and research approval was received from the data custodian (South Australian Department for Education).

Conflict of interest:

There are no conflicts of interest.

Supplementary material

For supplementary material accompanying this paper visit https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980021004870.

References

16. Christenson C, Toft U & Mikkelsen BE (2017) Food provision in a breakfast club does not impact concentration and sustained attention performance among young people at vocational school. In 10th International Conference on Culinary Arts and Sciences. Aalborg University Copenhagen, Captive Food Studies, pp. 161.

25. Xing X & Gordon HRD (2020) Mediating effects of school engagement between high school on-time completion and career and technical education. Vocat Learn, 1-21. doi: 10.1007/s12186-020-09252-2. [ Google Scholar]

30. Gregory T & Brinkman S (2020) Wellbeing and Engagement Collection (WEC): History of the WEC in the South Australian School System and Psychometric Properties of the WEC Survey Instrument. Adelaide: The University of Western Australia. [ Google Scholar]

33. OECD (2012) OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). www.pisa.oecd.org (accessed October 2020).

34. Schonert-Reichl KA, Guhn M, Hymel S et al. (2010) Our Children's Voices: The Middle Years Development Instrument. Burnaby, BC: United Way of the Lower Mainland. [ Google Scholar]

36. Kusche CA, Greenberg MT & Beilke R (1988) Seattle Personality Questionnaire for Young School-Aged Children. Unpublished Personality Questionnaire. Seattle: University of Washington, Department of Psychology. [ Google Scholar]

48. Gregory T, Lewkowicz A, Engelhardt D et al. (2021) Data resource profile: the South Australian Well-being and Engagement Collection (WEC). Int J Epidemiol, dyab103. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyab103. [[ PubMed] [ CrossRef] Google Scholar]

Articles from Public Health Nutrition are provided here courtesy of Cambridge University Press

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Breakfast skipping and cognitive and emotional engagement at school: a cross-sectional population-level study

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Research on the consequences of breakfast skipping among students tends to focus on academic outcomes, rather than student well-being or engagement at school. This study investigated the association between breakfast skipping and cognitive and emotional ...

# data[].attributes.body
school handbook and know your rights on wearing hats in school

sj

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Everyone has basic rights under the U.S. Constitution and civil rights laws. Learn more here about what your rights are, how to exercise them, and what to do when your rights are violated.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Know Your Rights | American Civil Liberties Union

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Everyone has basic rights under the U.S. Constitution and civil rights laws. Learn more here about what your rights are, how to exercise them, and what to do when your rights are violated.

# data[].attributes.headline
HHS Improve the health of rural communities and help rural health care providers stay open

# data[].attributes.subject
HHS Improve the health of rural communities and help rural health care providers stay open

# data[].attributes.body
In the article it talks about how they plan to work on making healthcare in rural areas more affordable and they are going to work on keeping them open. The work they are trying to do should allow easier access to healthcare for more people. - XL

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Biden-Harris Administration is taking actions to improve the health of rural communities and help rural health care providers stay open. These actions:

Build on the Affordable Care Act and Inflation Reduction Act to increase access to affordable health coverage and care for those living in rural communities

Keep more rural hospitals open in the long run to provide critical services in their communities

Bolster the rural health workforce, including for primary care and behavioral health providers

Support access to needed care such as behavioral health and through telehealth services.

The Biden-Harris Administration is lowering health care costs for rural Americans and supporting access to high quality care in rural America. Over sixty million people live in rural America. Compared to their urban counterparts, rural Americans are more likely to live in poverty, be older, be uninsured, have disabilities, and have fewer health care providers available within their area. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has helped to reduce the rates of uninsured rural individuals nationally, with the rate of uninsured rural individuals falling from 19% in 2012 to 13% in 2019; the rate of uninsured individuals living in rural areas in non-Medicaid expansion states, however, has fallen at a slower rate than those living in Medicaid expansion states, from 38% to 32% over the same timeframe. Over 150 rural hospitals have either closed their doors entirely or stopped providing inpatient hospital services since 2010, and being in a Medicaid expansion state decreased the likelihood of a rural hospital closing by more than half. Rural communities often have fewer local health care providers available, with over 50% of rural counties having no access to hospital-based maternity care and 70% lacking even a single psychiatrist, often requiring patients to travel long distances to access care.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is helping to ensure people in rural America have access to high quality health care.
INCREASING HEALTH COVERAGE FOR RURAL AMERICANS. Rural communities rely on the Marketplace, Medicaid, and Medicare; 1 in 3 rural adults are enrolled in Medicare, 1 in 6 are enrolled in state Medicaid programs, and 1 in 10 are covered by Marketplace coverage. This is particularly true for children - 47% of children living in small towns and rural areas are enrolled in Medicaid, compared to 40% of children in urban areas. Medicaid expansion has played a key role in expanding health coverage in rural communities. In 2019, rural uninsured rates were nearly twice as high in non-expansion states as expansion states. These actions will help improve access to health coverage that greatly benefit rural communities.

More outreach to rural Americans on ACA Marketplace enrollment. HHS, through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), will launch a $5 million pilot to conduct rural-focused outreach and health insurance enrollment activities during this year's Open Enrollment. These resources will be used for activities such as conducting mobile and virtual outreach in rural communities and offering in-person appointments in more rural areas, which will help to reduce the barriers faced by individuals who would otherwise have to travel long distances to receive enrollment assistance. This is in addition to the $98.6 million in Navigator funding available for plan year 2024 to help consumers understand new coverage options and find the most affordable coverage that meets their health care needs in Federally-facilitated or State Partnership Marketplaces.

Increasing access to the Low-Income Subsidy under the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. With a disproportionate number of seniors living in rural America, rural Americans stand to benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act's policies to lower prescription drug costs in Medicare. Thanks to the new law, starting on January 1, 2024, more people with Medicare will qualify for full benefits under the Part D Low-Income Subsidy program - also known as Extra Help - and benefit from no premiums, no deductible, and fixed lower copayments for certain prescription drugs under Medicare Part D. Up to 3 million people with Medicare are eligible for the subsidy but not enrolled in the program. HHS will conduct specific outreach to reach these individuals, including those living in rural areas, through local media and direct mail, so that they can enroll in the program to access more affordable prescription drug coverage, if eligible. Additionally, CMS finalized historic administrative changes to the Medicare Savings Program to make Medicare coverage more affordable for an estimated 860,000 people - including those living in rural America. These changes will simplify many government processes so people already receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will automatically be enrolled to receive assistance with their Medicare premiums and cost sharing, if eligible.

Closing the Medicaid Coverage gap.Since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, the rate of uninsured, low-income rural individuals in Medicaid expansion states fell by more than 50% (from 35% to 16%). However, the rate of uninsured low-income rural Americans living in non-expansion states declined by only 6 percentage points (from 38% to 32%) during that same timeframe. A state expanding Medicaid also decreases the likelihood of a rural hospital closing by more than half. Four states have expanded Medicaid since President Biden took office, including North Carolina where expansion takes effect on December 1. In addition, the President's FY 2024 budget proposed Medicaid-like coverage to individuals in states that have not adopted Medicaid expansion under the ACA, paired with financial incentives to ensure states with existing expansions maintain them, so more individuals in rural areas can have better coverage opportunities and access to services.

KEEPING MORE RURAL HOSPITALS OPEN SO THEY CAN PROVIDE CRITICAL SERVICES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. The Administration has made billions of dollars available to rural communities, including funding to small rural hospitals and Medicare-certified Rural Health Clinics in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to improve access to care. With the concerning trend of rural hospital closures, the Biden-Harris Administration is taking action to give rural hospitals support and flexibility to stay open to provide needed services for their community.

Public consultation on Medicare policies rural providers and beneficiaries. Rural hospitals are more likely to serve patients on Medicare and Medicaid, and therefore are more heavily reliant on those payments. To help address financial conditions of rural hospitals and ensure access to care in rural areas, Medicare currently provides some increased payments for facilities in rural areas. In order to determine other ways to assist rural hospitals, HHS expects to engage in public consultation to inform potential ways to support the needs of rural hospitals and the communities they serve through Medicare payment and coverage policies.

Supporting rural hospitals by helping them avoid closing their doors and instead converting to Rural Emergency Hospitals. Eligible hospitals (critical access hospitals (CAHs) and small hospitals in rural areas) have a new option to convert to a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH), a new Medicare provider type, to continue to provide emergency and outpatient care in their communities. CMS established an expedited process for these hospitals to convert to REHs. CMS has also finalized changes to the REH payment methodology for Tribal and Indian Health Services (IHS) operated REHs, to address certain barriers that may have discouraged Tribal and IHS operated hospitals from converting to REHs. Beginning in FY 2022, HHS, through the Health Services and Resources Administration (HRSA), dedicated $5 million to provide technical assistance to rural hospitals that are considering converting to the REH designation, as well as coordinated with USDA on technical assistance and education on USDA funding resources available to support in the conversion.

Funding to rural providers to join value-based care initiatives. Medicare's largest value-based care program, the Medicare Shared Savings Program, encourages providers to collaborate to provide coordinated, high-quality care to people with Medicare by forming or joining Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). However, upfront capital to form an ACO and start to make the necessary investments to provide accountable care is often a barrier for rural providers to join value-based care programs. Starting January 1, 2024, CMS will provide upfront payments to certain ACOs to help them succeed in expanding accountable care to rural ACOs and others serving historically underserved populations. These upfront payments could be used by ACOs to invest in staffing, such as hiring community health workers, invest in health care infrastructure (such as certified electronic health record technology), or to help manage health-related social needs of persons with Medicare, such as food insecurity, housing insecurity, and transportation problems.

Grants to rural hospitals and communities to provide health care services. HHS has several grant opportunities to support rural communities, including $28 million to provide direct health services and expand infrastructure and $16 million to provide technical assistance to rural hospitals facing financial distress. This year, sixty rural hospitals will receive technical assistance to maintain financial viability and ensure continued access to care.

Completing vital sanitation construction projects across Indian Country. The IHS recently announced allocation decisions for over $700 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, part of a total $3.5 billion appropriation providing critical water and wastewater services to thousands of homes across Indian Country. These funds support IHS' vital work providing American Indian and Alaska Native homes and communities, including rural tribal communities, with essential water wells, wastewater disposal, and connections to community water supply and wastewater disposal systems. Improvements to these sanitation facilities can reduce inpatient and outpatient visits related to respiratory, skin and soft tissue, and gastroenteric disease. Every $1 spent on water and sewer infrastructure is estimated to save $1.23 in avoided direct health care costs in these facilities.

Understanding rural health providers' cybersecurity needs. Health care cyber incidents are among the fastest growing type of cyber-crime, jeopardizing patient care and financial security of health care providers. Rural health providers are particularly challenged in protecting their information technology systems. Despite growing understanding of sector-wide risks, the precise cybersecurity landscape and resource needs for rural health providers are poorly understood. HHS worked directly with a broad range of health care providers - including rural health care providers - to develop the Hospital Cyber Resiliency Initiative Landscape Analysis in order to better understand the current state of cybersecurity practices and inform future efforts to support and protect providers and their patients. HHS will build upon this analysis to inform future cybersecurity protocols and policies to benefit health care providers in rural areas targeted by cyber-crime.

The President's FY 2024 budget put forth several policies to support rural providers, including $30 million to provide technical assistance to rural hospitals at risk of closure and to support expansion of hospital services lines to meet rural communities' needs, $13 million for rural health care workforce development and training programs, and nearly $45 million for services provided via telehealth. Recognizing that rural communities, which represent nearly 60% of Mental Health, Health Professional Shortage Areas, have higher rates of suicide, and high rates of overdose deaths and mental illness, the Budget provides $10 million in dedicated funding for a new Rural Health Clinic Behavioral Health Initiative to expand access to behavioral health services in rural communities.

BOLSTER RURAL WORKFORCE CAPACITY. With fewer health care providers in rural areas, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing a set of actions to develop the pipeline of health care workers, including increasing incentives for health care providers to train and work in rural communities.

Increase resident training opportunities in rural hospitals. Medicare is allocating 1,000 new training slots for medical residents and is prioritizing rural and underserved areas. CMS is also working to implement another 200 slots, which includes at least 100 slots specifically for psychiatry residencies in 2026, as enacted in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. HHS expects to do additional outreach and technical assistance to rural hospitals to encourage them to apply for these new residency positions. HHS also awarded over $11 million through the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program (RRPD) to help establish new rural residency programs. Accredited RRPD-funded programs are already training over 300 resident physicians in family medicine, internal medicine, psychiatry, and general surgery. Further, this summer, HRSA published an opportunity for $5 million in FY 2024 to develop and implement clinical rotations for physician assistant students in rural areas that will integrate behavioral health with primary care services through the Primary Care Training and Enhancement - Physician Assistant Rural Training in Mental and Behavioral Health Program. Lastly, CMS will continue to expand the rural workforce by allowing Medicare-funded rural residency training at Rural Emergency Hospitals. These changes will help address health care provider shortages by supporting the training of more clinicians in rural areas.

Expanding the workforce and recognizing the role of community health workers Community health workers have been shown to be successful at addressing disparities in health care and connecting patients with local resources to address social needs, which can be particularly challenging in rural and tribal areas. Building on the Administration's $225 million investment to train over 13,000 community health workers, CMS finalized policies to recognize, and for the first time, separately pay for community health integration services performed by personnel such as community health workers.

Developing and investing in the nursing workforce.Nurses play a critical role in primary care, mental health care and maternal health care, particularly in rural areas. HHS announced more than $100 million in awards to address the increasing demand for registered nurses, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and nurse faculty nationwide.

New Office of Rural Health to Address Workforce Needs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has established an Office of Rural Health in its National Center for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce. Given the health disparities facing rural communities, this new office will administer CDC's rural health portfolio, coordinate efforts across CDC programs, and develop a strategic plan for rural health efforts at the CDC. Lastly, this office will continue to work closely with HRSA and USDA on rural health projects and initiatives to benefit individual living in rural areas.

Virtual Physician Supervision. CMS finalized policies continuing to allow physicians caring for Medicare patients to supervise patient care for some types of facilities virtually through the end of 2024. Virtual supervision has been a COVID-19 public health emergency flexibility recognized to promote access to care in rural and underserved areas.

Prioritizing rural communities in funding of community economic grant competition. HHS, through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), runs the Community Economic Development grant competition, a grant program that funds projects in low-income communities to support job development. In their upcoming round of awards, ACF will award bonus points to grant applicants to support the creation of sustainable employment opportunities in rural communities.

Addressing the Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Needs of Rural Communities. HHS, through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), runs the Rural Community Development program, which funds regional and tribal training and technical assistance grants to support the development and management of safe and affordable water and wastewater systems for low-income rural and tribal communities. Eight multi-state, regional non-profit organizations were awarded five-year grants in fiscal year 2020, and collectively they serve all regions of the United States.

SUPPORTING ACCESS TO CARE. The Biden-Harris Administration will support rural communities having access to reliable care, through approaches that expand access to outpatient behavioral health and telehealth services.

Expanding access to services provided via telehealth. During the first year of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), Medicare telehealth visits increased 63-fold, especially benefiting patients in rural communities. CMS is extending many of the Medicare telehealth flexibilities provided during the COVID-19 PHE through December 31, 2024, based on requirements in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. CMS also created new requirements for Medicare Advantage organizations to develop and maintain procedures to offer digital health education to enrollees to improve access to medically-necessary covered telehealth benefits. Furthermore, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) requires CMS to provide technical assistance and issue guidance to states on how to improve access to services delivered via telehealth to beneficiaries enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This will help people in rural communities by granting access to services without having to travel long distances to see a provider in person.

Improving access to high-speed internet. Internet access is important to accessing telehealth and the Biden-Harris Administration has committed to connecting everyone in the country to affordable, high-speed internet. Rural communities, including tribal communities, represent 93% of all locations unserved by affordable, high-speed internet across the country. President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided $2 billion in funding, through the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, to fill this infrastructure gap and aid adoption efforts to Tribes. This funding is in addition to $2 billion for ReConnect funding, a program for high-speed infrastructure projects on rural and tribal land. To further support access, IHS is partnering with digital navigators to come to local rural health care facilities to sign up tribal members for the Affordable Connectivity Program which provides a discount for internet bills.

Increasing access to and payment for behavioral health services. Rural communities face higher rates of behavioral health conditions and shortages of behavioral health providers that make it harder for people to access treatment. HHS has taken a series of actions to help expand access to behavioral health providers within rural communities. This also includes efforts to leverage telehealth flexibilities and mobile units to reach underserved populations. CMS is also working to implement provisions of the CAA, 2023, which expands Medicare coverage and payment to new behavioral health providers such as marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors. CMS finalized policies to allow rural health clinics to provide intensive outpatient services for behavioral health and to increase payment for certain types of mental health services. The President's FY 2024 Budget Request also calls for an increase in the funding going to rural communities to respond to the behavioral health crisis. This includes $165 million through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) to focus on opioid and substance use prevention, increase access to behavioral health services, increase access to new medication-assisted treatment services, and to grow and train the behavioral health workforce.

Improving access to treatment for opioid use disorders. Access to opioid use treatment services in rural areas is vital. To address the need for these services in rural areas, HRSA's National Health Service Corps Rural Community Loan Repayment Program issues loan repayment awards in coordination with the RCORP from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. In an effort to support evidence-based substance use disorder treatment, assist in recovery, and prevent overdose deaths across the nation, an additional $80 million has been invested by the RCORP. Additionally, HRSA will continue to make loan repayment awards to National Health Service Corps Rural Community Loan Repayment Program participants serving at National Health Service Corps-approved sites that are RCORP service sites. Medicare also clarified that it will cover opioid use disorder treatment services delivered by mobile units of registered opioid treatment programs, and beneficiaries can now access behavioral health services via telehealth or audio-only communications in certain circumstances. Building upon the President's commitment to furthering access to these types of treatments, HHS proposed a rule on addressing telemedicine treatment services to individuals with opioid use disorder within opioid treatment programs, and DEA and HHS/SAMHSA continue to work on rules related to telemedicine induction of controlled medications, including Schedule III-V approved medications to treat opioid use disorder in other settings.

Advancing network adequacy for behavioral health providers. Ensuring rural Americans have health insurance provider networks that support their behavioral health needs is vital to improving access to these services. Under Medicare Advantage, CMS finalized a new rule with policies that strengthen network adequacy requirements, beginning with plan year 2024, and reaffirm Medicare Advantage organizations' responsibilities to provide behavioral health services networks. These new requirements include establishing appointment wait time standards for behavioral health and primary care providers and adding network standards for licensed clinical social workers and clinical psychologists. This rule supports rural Americans enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans by ensuring they receive timely access to behavioral health services. CMS also remains interested in network adequacy standards for other types of behavioral health providers. With respect to the Marketplace, CMS finalized revisions to the network adequacy and essential community provider (ECP) requirements for plan year 2024 to include two new ECP categories that are critical to delivering needed behavioral health care: Substance Use Disorder Treatment Centers and Mental Health Facilities. CMS also added rural emergency hospitals as an ECP category to better ensure consumer access to a sufficient choice of providers and increase provider types that rural consumers can choose from. CMS also revised network adequacy requirements in the Marketplace to evaluate qualified health plans for compliance with quantitative network adequacy standards based on time and distance standards, and will begin to evaluate qualified health plans for compliance with appointment wait time standards in plan year 2025. Additionally, for plan year 2024 and beyond, CMS retains the overall 35% provider participation threshold and also extends the 35% threshold to two major ECP categories: Federally Qualified Health Centers and Family Planning Providers, further benefiting rural beneficiaries.

Improving access to providers for Medicaid beneficiaries in rural areas. In April 2023, CMS issued two proposed rules that would help address access challenges, including ones that rural communities disproportionately experience. For example, these rules, if finalized, would make provider payments more transparent, potentially helping to increase such payments, which could encourage more providers - including rural providers - to participate in Medicaid. The proposals would also help ensure that Medicaid beneficiaries - including those in rural areas - can access services in a timely manner by imposing appointment wait time standards for beneficiaries receiving certain services through managed care, including routine primary care, OB-GYN services, and outpatient mental health and substance use disorder services.

Access to care in Medicare Advantage in rural areas. People in rural communities are increasingly enrolling in Medicare Advantage. In addition to the telehealth and network adequacy policies described above, CMS has created new policies requiring that prior authorization procedures in Medicare Advantage don't inappropriately inhibit access to necessary services. New CMS regulations, applicable beginning 2024, limit the use of prior authorization to confirming the presence of diagnoses or other medical criteria that are the basis for coverage determinations for the specific item or service, and medical necessity of covered services for an enrollee (or clinical appropriateness for certain supplemental benefits).

School-Based Services in Rural Communities.In May 2023, CMS released an informational bulletin and a comprehensive guide and the Department of Education (ED) released a proposed rule, that will help make it easier for schools to deliver and bill Medicaid for health care services they provide to children eligible for Medicaid. This summer, CMS, in conjunction with the ED, launched the School-Based Services (SBS) Technical Assistance Center to support State Medicaid agencies, State and local education agencies, and school-based entities in expanding and improving the delivery of Medicaid and CHIP services in schools. The CMS guidance and SBS Technical Assistance Center support rural and low-resource schools by making it easier to bill for Medicaid services as they frequently have less administrative capacity to do so and the Technical Assistance Center develops resources specifically designed to help support small and rural local educational agencies.

Supporting Access to Rural Maternal Care. As described in the Biden-Harris Administration's Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, women in rural communities experience challenges accessing maternal care locally, and have higher rates of maternal mortality and morbidity than their urban counterparts. As described in the Maternal Health Blueprint, the HRSA Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMs) Program will improve rural health care networks and will uplift maternal and obstetrics care in rural communities. In FY 2023, the RMOMs program invested $2 million in new awards to serve rural communities. The IHS is also developing training curriculum for IHS hospitals, including rural hospitals, to be "obstetrics ready" in the event they need to perform an emergency delivery and have triage and transfer protocols in place if needed. The CMS Innovation Center is also exploring ways to improve maternal health outcomes and access through the testing of innovative payment and service delivery models, which could directly impact access to obstetrics care in rural America. Lastly, as of September, CMS has approved requests from 37 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to provide continuous Medicaid and CHIP coverage for 12 months after pregnancy to postpartum individuals.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Biden-Harris Administration is taking actions to improve the health of rural communities and help rural health care providers stay open

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Biden-Harris Administration is taking actions to improve the health of rural communities and help rural health care providers stay open

# data[].attributes.body
In this article they say no hats are aloud because teachers and staff aren't able to identify you. They also say if you're wearing a hat teachers can't tell if you're focusing or not. The article states that hats aren't allowed because a dangerous person might be sneaking in the school and could possibly hurt someone. -SL

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The controversy surrounding wearing hats in school

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hats were always prohibited in public schools, but why? The rule was enforced when ball caps were first created. Ball caps were made to shield the human eyes from the sun and were popular in baseball to block out the sun so people could play. The downside of ballcaps was they covered one's face so...

# data[].attributes.body
Due to the amount of homework that schools give to their students each night it can cause a lot of stress eventually resulting in the students losing motivation, having difficulty sleeping, and anxiety about the work. As that happens it slowly increases the stress students have to exponential levels, because as the stress increases the problem with homework increases and as the problem with work increases stress increases, resulting in a cycle of increasing stress.

- JTB

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Does Homework Cause Stress? Exploring the Impact on Students' Mental Health - Healium

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Uncover the effects of homework-induced stress on students' mental well-being and how to foster a balanced approach to education.

# data[].attributes.body
Being a woman in a trade can be an incredible journey, but it's not without its challenges. Unfortunately, discrimination towards women in trade is still a thing in some industries. Women often face stereotypes, biases, and unequal treatment. They may encounter resistance, skepticism, or even harassment from colleagues or clients. However, despite these obstacles, women in trade are resilient and determined. They continue to break barriers, prove their skills, and make their mark in traditionally male-dominated fields. Through their perseverance and passion, they inspire others and pave the way for a more inclusive and equal future. It's important to recognize and address the discrimination that exists, and work towards creating a more supportive and equitable environment for all.

-MLM

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Every job has its challenges and difficult days. But if you're a person of a marginalized gender in your workplace, those difficult days may happen every day. We are in an era often referred to as "post-#MeToo," which implies that women have now achieved equality in the workplace and freedom from harassment, even though there is still a long way to go. We often hear about how male-dominated work cultures negatively impact women.

No industry is more complex when it comes to the discrimination that women face than that of trade jobs, most of which are historically composed of primarily men. Ahead, we'll examine what it's like to be a woman in the trades, from how the gender balance of the industry is changing to how women are speaking up more than ever before about the unfair treatment they receive.

What Is a Trade Job?

First, it's important to understand exactly what types of jobs we're talking about here. Trade jobs are careers that are relatively high-paying but do not require a college degree. Instead, you complete a training program, which can be done at a career college, a junior college, or an institution that focuses only on one industry. Some trades involve a certificate only, and others include licensing as well.

The Amount of Women in Trade Jobs

When you think of an electrician or a locksmith, chances are you picture a man. That's because historically, men have dominated the trade fields. However, the amount of women in trade jobs is growing, and it experienced a nearly 18% rise between the years 2017 and 2018 for women in construction jobs alone. There are currently 1.1 million women in the country working in construction, which equals 11% of the total construction workforce.

In some trade industries, women don't even comprise a single percentage of the workforce. These sectors include coal mining, pottery manufacturing, and agricultural chemical manufacturing. And there are many additional categories of trades in which the percentage of women is reflected in single digits.

Both salon services and home health care involve caring directly for other people, which is stereotypically considered more "feminine" work and the type of jobs women were once relegated to as the only career option. Women remain in far smaller percentages of the areas of trades we associate with men.

The Public Face of Workplace Discrimination

While the women-dominated fields of home health care and salon work are not at all notorious for discriminating against women, the areas of trade work dominated by men are quite different, and discrimination is considered part of the job. That's a mindset that many are no longer willing to accept or to work alongside daily. If it seems like there are ever more lawsuits and settlements occurring due to workplace discrimination, that's because there are.

Some gender and race-based lawsuits make headlines, such as those against electric car manufacturer Tesla, which has been accused of both race and gender-based discrimination. More and more, advocates for those employees also speak up publicly, such as the response about the case by Grid Alternatives, an organization centered around jobs in renewable energy.

Challenges of Being a Woman in the Trades

There are many steps from a tough workday to a lawsuit, but if you've heard much from women working in trade industries, that journey likely seems a bit shorter. That's because male-dominated trade fields can involve frequent, and unacceptable, discrimination.

"People are often surprised when they see me show up to job sites, and sometimes I feel like I have to prove myself," says tile installer Cecelia Leger. She was one of many who took to the social media app TikTok to voice the insults and harassment she regularly receives on her job sites, with comments including, "So, have you got a boyfriend?"

Leger entered the field as legitimately as any man, telling Workwear Guru that "Growing up, I liked building little houses or forts out of materials I just found around me. I took several shop classes in high school and had a great teacher that encouraged me to join a trade. After high school, I started working for a small remodeling company as a helper and found a passion for tiling."

Some industries are known for being toxic to employees at large, but even in those fields, women can bear the brunt of discrimination more than men. Pastry chef Kalina Pence started out as a line cook and was rarely treated well by male coworkers or superiors. "I've always been met with criticism, doubt, and met with this macho mentality of 'You can't do this type of work,' 'Let's see how long this girl lasts,'" she tells Verywell Mind.

"I have been sexually harassed, threatened, physically challenged, underpaid, given the chum jobs, and so on from those men who never respected me no matter what the level of my work was or my title," Pence adds. "Most men my generation or older would not take any direction from me whatsoever."

Kalina Pence, pastry chef

- Kalina Pence, pastry chef

She notes that she was blatantly told by a male boss that he only hired her "to look at," and that when she interviewed for cook positions, she was offered server jobs as "a safety net."

General contractor Morgan Venetos openly says she has been threatened and verbally abused by men on the job, and she has made numerous TikTok videos about the discrimination she faces in her work life. She says she's asked if she took over her father's business, with the assumption being that she couldn't have founded her own contracting company.

How Times Are-And Aren't-Changing

While we have a very long way to go to reach equality on this most basic of fronts, progressively, more women are moving into trade jobs. For example, as of March 2022, there are 220,000 more women working in transportation and warehousing than there were in February 2020. Other fields are seeing increases, too, and these larger numbers of women in trades give more voice to the needs for workplace equality.

Lawsuits, such as the 2018 gender discrimination suit against Nike or unequal pay, are growing more common as a means to change wages.

In terms of on-the-job discrimination, the more women who call out the ways they're treated unfairly on public forums, the more the public becomes aware of them. But there are still enormous shifts in policy needed, and these workers alone cannot be expected to be able to implement the changes needed.

While we may refer to our country as a post-#MeToo society, the reality is that we are still deeply entrenched in men's workplace misbehavior. The more we speak up, the better our chances of creating change.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What It's Like to Be a Woman in the Trades

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Every job has its challenges and difficult days. But if you're a person of a marginalized gender in your workplace, those difficult days may happen every day. We are in an era often referred to as "post-#MeToo," which implies that women have now achieved equality in the workplace and freedom from harassment, even though there is still a long way to go.

# data[].attributes.body
In this article it talks about the effects of stress. It can make you feel overwhelmed, uninterested, cause existing mental health problems to get worse, and a lot more. It might make it so you have a hard time concentrating. It might make controlling your emotions harder, meaning you can snap at people for very little things. It can make it so you have a harder time sleeping. It can affect your memory, habits, and health.

- JTB

# data[].attributes.body
this article states that kids not being able to wear hats could be a bigger distraction than allowing them. hats are a normal article of clothing. they are not any more distracting then a normal shirt or pants. -DP

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
The Rider Online | Legacy HS Student Media

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Recent reinforcement of the no hat policy creates a more extreme punishment for a policy that should not even be in place. Normal hats, hoodies and beanies do not distract from classroom activities.

The student handbook states that students must not wear apparel that creates a distraction. Only abnormal hats like sombreros, top-hats and jester hats (especially with little jingly bells) create any sort of distraction. Since most students would never wear hats like those, normal caps and beanies should be included in acceptable attire, while the other crazy hats should be excluded under section eight of the dress code, banning extreme articles of apparel.

Hats do not cause more distractions than any other article of clothing. They are common anywhere people go. The attention directed toward hats is only derived from the administrations persistence in enforcing the policy. If hats were allowed and not constantly highlighted people would not even notice them. Introduced as a sign of respect in the 60's, the no-hat policy has become outdated and irrelevant since then. A simple baseball cap or beanie certainly isn't more distracting than bright red spirit shirts, giant letter jackets or revealing clothes that fit within dress code.

Additionally, the inclusion of hoodies in the enforcement does not even follow the student handbook. In fact, hooded sweaters and jackets aren't mentioned in the dress code at all. It's understandable that the administration would worry that gang related attire, or worse: concealed weapons, could be hidden within the large pockets and spaces of a hoodie or jacket, but restricting the wear of the hood will do little to alleviate those concerns. Besides, hoods help keep our heads warm in a cold building.

Even without changing the policy, the new punishment does not fit the 'crime'. Confiscating the hats in addition to a two-hour D-Hall is far too extreme for wearing clothes that don't even cause problems in the first place. The district should change this policy and allow the wear of hats.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Enforcing No Hats Rule Causes Bigger Distraction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Recent reinforcement of the no hat policy creates a more extreme punishment for a policy that should not even be in place. Normal hats, hoodies and beanies do not distract from classroom activities. The student handbook states that students must not wear apparel that creates a distraction.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
This article states that the use of paintball guns could potentially help the police force in protests by marking individuals without causing serious harm. It could be a way to identify and control the situation instead of killing everyone with real guns. However, it's important to consider the safety and potential misuse of such weapons during a protest. 

# data[].attributes.headline
How using paintball guns will be safer during protests

# data[].attributes.subject
How using paintball guns will be safer during protests

# data[].attributes.body
In this article it shows how homework causes so many problems for students of all ages. It causes stress and other mental issues that can affect a person's performance in their daily life. This clearly can cause a lot of problems for students. -JE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Stanford research shows pitfalls of homework

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A Stanford researcher found that students in high-achieving communities who spend too much time on homework experience more stress, physical health problems, a lack of balance and even alienation from society.

# data[].attributes.body
The DPW only has two full-time workers witch meant a lot of roads are left untouched during storms.God for bid one of them is sick.The town will not up there budget to accommodate the needs of the DPW.The town approved a 1.3 million dollar grant for a round about and to move pipes under the road.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
TEMPLETON ― The Templeton Select Board wants to know what residents think about a plan to combine fiscal year 2022 and FY2023 Community Development Block Grant applications. The board will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

Town officials are estimating that both applications combined can request up to $1,350,000, which will fund the infrastructure improvement project in the streets that make up School, Cottage, and Vernon neighborhoods.

At the meeting a hired private CDB grant application consultant will present all details of the application, the infrastructure improvement project, and the conditions of the roads, sidewalks, and the Vernon Street waterline that all need to be replaced.

A public meeting was held in January for residents who live on the three streets to inform them about the upcoming construction project, said Town Administrator Adam Lamontagne.

"We had several neighbors show up from the neighborhood," he said. "They seem pretty optimistic about the project, and they are looking forward to seeing this application be submitted."

A reason for applying to the two CDB grants is because the town only gets $400,000 from the state's Chapter 90 program, Lamontagne said. Chapter 90 is state program that provides municipalities with a yearly funding for roadway and public transportation improve public projects in the community.
More: Keep an eye out for these new construction projects in the Gardner area in 2023
The CDB grant is a statewide funding source that is extremely competitive, Lamontagne said.

Linda Overing, co-owner of Breezeway Farm Consulting based in New Salem, Massachusetts, recommended town officials apply for both grants because they are eligible, and it makes their chances of getting funding higher.

Until the application process is finished and if town officials are granted the funds needed for the infrastructure project, there isn't a projected timeline for when construction will begin or a completion date, Lamontagne said.

In case of extreme winter weather, a second date was selected for the public hearing on Wednesday, Feb.15 at 6:30 p.m. in Town Hall at 690 Patriots Rd.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Templeton officials seek $1.3 million to fund major infrastructure project

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Three major roadways in Templeton needs to be replaced so town officials are applying to the statewide 2022 and 2203 Community Development Block grant.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/find-a-state-park-ohv-riding-trail#:~:text=Western%20Massachusetts&text=Beartown%20State%20Forest%20(Lee%2C%20Great,suitable%20for%20motorcycles%20or%20ATVs.

Between these two articles, it discusses where people can ride dirt bikes, four wheeler, and UTV. It also explicitly states that you cannot "Operate on any public property not designated for recreational vehicle use." I understand this law, however, there should be more places to ride. It would be helpful for everyday riders and people getting into riding. I think these changes would be beneficial to dirt bike riders in the state of Massachusetts. OR

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Definitions

"Recreation vehicle" or "off-highway vehicle" - Any motor vehicle designed or modified for use over unimproved terrain for recreation or pleasure while not on a public way. This includes all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, dirt bikes, and recreation utility vehicles. Also included are all registered motor vehicles when operated off of a public way.

"All-terrain vehicle" - a motorized recreation vehicle designed or modified for travel on 4 low pressure tires and having a seat designed to be straddled by the operator and handlebars for steering control.

"Dirt bike" - a recreation vehicle that is a lightweight motorcycle, equipped with two in-line wheels, designed for operation on unpaved surfaces, dirt roads, and trails.

"Recreation utility vehicle" or "utility vehicle" - a motorized flotation tire vehicle with not less than 4 and not more than 6 low pressure tires that is limited in engine displacement to less than 1,500 cubic centimeters and in total dry weight to not more than 1,800 pounds and that has a seat that is of bench design, not intended to be straddled by the operator, and a steering wheel for control.

Age Restrictions

No person under 18 years of age shall operate a recreation vehicle or recreation utility vehicle unless he has successfully completed an approved recreation vehicle safety and responsibility course. For information, contact the Boat & RV Safety Bureau.

No person under the age of 16½ shall operate a recreation vehicle across a public way unless directly supervised by an adult (18 years of age or older). The public way and the crossing must be marked and approved for recreation vehicle use.

No person between 14 - 16 years of age shall operate an all-terrain vehicle or a recreation utility vehicle with an engine capacity greater than 90 cubic centimeters. When operating such vehicles 90 cubic centimeters or less, persons between 14 - 16 years of age must be directly supervised by an adult.

No person between 10 - 14 years of age shall operate a recreation vehicle unless directly supervised by an adult while in preparation for, or while participating in, a sanctioned race, rally, or organized event which has been approved by a municipal permitting authority. If operating an all- terrain vehicle or a recreation utility vehicle, engine capacity must be equal to or less than 90 cubic centimeters.

Persons under 10 years of age may only operate an age/size appropriate dirt bike under direct adult supervision while in preparation for, or while participating in, a sanctioned event which has been approved by a municipal permitting authority. Preparation for such an event may only occur on private property.

Prohibited Operation

The following are some examples of prohibited operation:

Operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Operating on public ways or upon or across a controlled access highway.

Failure to come to a complete stop when crossing an approved public way (must yield to motor vehicle traffic).

Operating at an unreasonable, improper, or unsafe speed for existing conditions.

Operating on land of another without written permission of the owner.

Operating within 150 feet of a residence without permission of the owner.

Operating a vehicle which emits noxious fumes or makes excessive noise.

Operating in a manner that causes damage to public or private property.

Operating on an ocean beach or sand dune in a manner so as to destroy, damage or break down any beach, dune or dune grass.

Operating in a manner so as to harass or chase wildlife or domestic animals.

Operating on any public property not designated for recreation vehicle use.

Safety Equipment

Persons operating, riding on, or being towed by a recreation vehicle shall wear an approved helmet. Each
recreation vehicle must also be equipped with an adequate braking system. An adequate muffler designed
to reduce unusual or excessive noise and noxious fumes is required. Each recreation vehicle must be
equipped with one or more headlights, a red rear light and red rear reflector when operated after sunset.
A trailer attached to a recreation vehicle must have a red rear reflector.

Registration, Decals and Trail Permits

Recreation vehicles operated on public or private property must be registered through the Massachusetts
Environmental Police, except if used exclusively for agricultural, forestry, lumbering or construction
purposes. Application for said exemption is required. Out-of-state recreation vehicle registrations are not
valid in Massachusetts. The assigned registration decals shall be firmly attached to both sides of the vehicle and located so that
both are clearly visible. The validation date shall be displayed on the left side of the vehicle. The registration certificate shall be in the possession of the operator.
For further registration information, contact the Massachusetts Environmental Police

Accidents

The operator or owner of a recreation vehicle involved in a collision, accident or other such casualty
resulting in death or injury to a person or damage to property in excess of $50.00 shall notify a law
enforcement officer immediately and file a written report of the incident with the MA Environmental
Police within 48 hours. To obtain report forms or further safety/legal information contact the Boat and Recreation Vehicle Safety Bureau.

Violations

To report violations of recreation vehicle or snowmobile laws, or other environmental or wildlife laws,
contact the Environmental Police Radio Communications Center at 1-800-632-8075

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Summary of Off-Highway Vehicle Safety Laws

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The following abstract summarizes some important Massachusetts recreation vehicle laws.

# data[].attributes.body
In the article they say that students need at least 20 minutes of seat time. This is not time in the lines and getting food. Students need 20 minutes to sit down and eat their lunch. Currently at our school we only have about 25 minutes of lunch time. The CDC recommends at least 30 minutes of total lunch time. 10 minutes to wait in line and 20 minutes to sit. However we don't have this. Longer Lunch helps with getting enough nutrition and if we don't have long enough lunches we don't get that. -K.M

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010external icon required changes to the nutrition standards for the National School Lunch Programexternal icon and School Breakfast Programexternal icon . ¹ As a result, schools are serving more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as reducing the sodium content of the meals. ²⁻⁴ However, there is concern that students may be unfamiliar with, and take longer to eat, some of these healthier options.

Schools can help teach students the importance of eating healthier by making eating it fun and easy to do. Schools can provide nutrition education, give students opportunities to try new foods before they appear on the menu, and ensure that students have at least 20 minutes once they are seated (seat time) to enjoy their meal and socialize. ⁵⁻¹⁰

Seat time is different from the total time for the lunch period and does not include waiting in line to select and pay for the meal.
This distinction between adequate seat time and the length of the meal period overall is important because many activities can shorten time to eat, including using the restroom, handwashing, walking to where the meal is served, waiting in line, selecting items for the meal, waiting to pay, walking to the table, socializing with friends, and bussing trays after the meal. ¹¹

About one-half of school districts nationwide do not require or recommend that schools provide students with at least 20 minutes to eat lunch once they receive their meal. ¹²

Some students also report that insufficient time to eat is a key reason for not participating in the school lunch program. ¹³

Studies have shown that providing more time for lunch is associated with the following:

Increased consumption of food and key nutrients.⁷

Increased selection of a fruit.⁸

Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables,8,9 lunch entrée,⁸ and milk.⁸

Decreased plate waste.⁷

Each school may need to use different strategies, but there are many ideas and best practices to consider. 8,11,14

Schools can

Schedule lunch periods that are longer than 20 minutes to account for the time it takes students to get to the cafeteria (or other location where the meal is served), wait in line, pay for lunch, find a place to sit, socialize with friends, and eat the meal. Some studies suggest that a 30-minute lunch period allows students to have the recommended 20 minutes of seat time.8,15

Schedule recess before lunch, when possible.¹⁰

Train lunchroom paraprofessionals to create comfortable eating environments.

Ask for parent or grandparent volunteers to help provide lunchtime supervision, and to help younger students open milk, condiments, and other prepackaged items.

Require a specific amount of time for sitting and eating before students go out to play.

School nutrition programs can

Provide adequate training to school nutrition staff so that meal service and payment are efficient.

Minimize wait time in lines by adding serving lines, rearranging points of service so that they are easier for students to access, or offering preorder of meals.

Offer grab-and-go meal options in the cafeteria or in remote locations.

Cut up fruit, such as apples and oranges, so they are easier for students to eat.

Consider using the Community Eligibility Provisionexternal icon (a no-cost meal service option) or other provisions that allow all students to receive free meals. This can increase participation in the meal programs and decrease the time that students wait in line to pay for their meal.16

Parents, school staff, and community members can

Join the school wellness team or district wellness committee that sets the policies for health and wellness, and ensure that wellness policies say that students should have at least 20 minutes of seat time to eat lunch.

Educate district and school administrators about the importance of school lunch and adequate seat time.

States can

Consider policies that address sufficient seat time, which is significantly associated with schools providing at least 30 minutes for lunch.¹⁷

1. Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Pub L No. 111-296.

2. United States Department of Agriculture. Food and Nutrition Service. FACT SHEET: Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act School Meals Implementation. Available at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/pressrelease/2014/009814external icon . Access on April 10, 2019.

3. Bergman EA, Englund T, Taylor KW, Watkins TM, Schepman S, Rushing K. School lunch before and after implementation of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act. J Child Nutr Manag. 2014;38(2)1-12.

1. Johnson DB, Podrabsky M, Rocha A, Otten JJ. Effect of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act on the Nutritional Quality of Meals Selected by Students and School Lunch Participation Rates. JAMA Pediatr. 2016;170(1):e153918.

2. Meiklejohn S, Ryan L, Palermo C. A Systematic Review of the Impact of Multi-Strategy Nutrition Education Programs on Health and Nutrition of Adolescents. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2016;48:631-646.

3. County Health Rankings and Roadmaps. School-based Nutrition Education Programs. Available at: http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/take-action-to-improve-health/what-works-for-health/policies/school-based-nutrition-education-programsexternal icon . Accessed on April 9, 2019.

4. Bergman EA, Buergel NS, Englund TF, Femrite A. The relationship between the length of the lunch period and nutrient consumption in the elementary school lunch setting. J Child Nutr Manage, 28(2): October 2004.

5. Cohen JFW, Jahn JL, Richardson S, Cluggish SA, Parker E, Rimm EB. Amount of time to eat lunch is associated with children's selection and consumption of school meal entrée, fruits, vegetables, and milk. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116(1):123-8.

6. Gosliner W. School-level factors associated with increased fruit and vegetable consumption among students in California middle and high schools. J Sch Health. 2014; 84: 559-568.

7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School health guidelines to promote healthy eating and physical activity. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2011;60(RR-5):1-76.

8. Conklin MT, Lambert LG, Anderson JB. How long does it take students to eat lunch? A summary of three studies. Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Management. 2002;26(2):1-9.

9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Results from the School Health Policies and Practices Study 2016. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

1. Asperin, A. E., et al. (2010). "The Non-Participation Survey: Understanding Why High School Students Choose Not to Eat School Lunch." Journal of Child Nutrition & Management 34(1): 8.

2. California Department of Education, Nutrition Services Division. Time to Eat Survey Results, 2013. Available at: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/sn/documents/timetoeatsurvey.pdfpdf icon external icon .

3. Hildebrand D, Millburg Ely C, Betts NM, Gates GE. Time to eat school lunch affects elementary students' nutrient consumption. J Child Nutr Manag. 2018;42:1-13.

4. United States Department of Agriculture. The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP): What does it mean for your school or local education agency? Available at: https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/cn/CEPfactsheet.pdfpdf icon external icon . Accessed on May 28, 2019.

5. Turner L, Leider J, Piekarz-Porter E, Schwartz MB, Merlo C, Brener N, Chriqui JF. State Laws Are Associated with School Lunch Duration and Promotion Practices. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2018;118:455-463.

Page last reviewed:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
School meal programs provide students nutritious and healthier foods and beverages. Learn why students need adequate seat time to enjoy their meals.

# data[].attributes.body
The work industry treats women differently than they do men. Women were often to be told to go home, take care of the kids, and clean. In the United States, 1 out of 10 women were found being verbally abused, discriminated against, and in a hostile work environment. Women would not only be harassed by their coworkers but in some cases, it would be their clients. All though women are put through harassment, it found that women's skills and work ethic are just as good, if not better, than some men due to their level of maturity and commitment, and their ability to be thorough.

- AJ

# data[].attributes.body
Homework can cause stress to the point that it makes kids not want to be motivated in school. So the best course of action would be to lower the amount of homework given and kids might be more motivated to learn In school. Schools want to teach kids but the homework is driving a wedge in kids wanting to learn in school.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Homework has become a matter of concern for educators, parents, and researchers due to its potential effects on students' stress levels. It's no secret that students often find themselves grappling with high levels of stress and anxiety throughout their academic careers, so understanding the extent to which homework affects those stress levels is important.

By delving into the latest research and understanding the underlying factors at play, we hope to provide valuable insights for educators, parents, and students who are wondering about how much stress homework is causing in their lives.

The Link Between Homework and Stress: What the Research Says

Over the years, numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship between homework and stress levels in students.

One study published in the Journal of Experimental Education found that students who reported spending more than two hours per night on homework experienced higher stress levels and physical health issues. Those same students reported over three hours of homework a night on average.

This study, conducted by Stanford lecturer Denise Pope, has been heavily cited throughout the years, with WebMD even producing the below video on the topic- part of their special report series on teens and stress :

Additional studies published by Sleep Health Journal found that long hours on homework on may be a risk factor for depression while also suggesting that reducing workload outside of class may benefit sleep and mental fitness .

Lastly, a study presented by Frontiers in Psychology highlighted significant health implications for high school students facing chronic stress, including emotional exhaustion and alcohol and drug use.

Overall, it appears clear that the answer to whether or not homework is a significant stressor for students is "Yes, depending on the workload assigned to students." As such, teachers and parents alike should be wary of how much work they are truly putting on the shoulders of teenagers.

Homework's Impact on Mental Health and Well-being

Homework-induced stress on students is far-reaching and involves both psychological and physiological side effects.

1. Psychological Effects of Homework-Induced Stress:

* Anxiety: The pressure to perform academically and meet homework expectations can lead to heightened levels of anxiety in students. Constant worry about completing assignments on time and achieving high grades can be overwhelming.

* Sleep Disturbances: Homework-related stress can disrupt students' sleep patterns, leading to sleep anxiety or sleep deprivation, both of which can negatively impact cognitive function and emotional regulation.

* Reduced Motivation: Excessive homework demands can drain students' motivation, causing them to feel fatigued and disengaged from their studies. Reduced motivation may lead to a lack of interest in learning, hindering overall academic performance.

2. Physical Effects of Homework-Induced Stress:

* Impaired Immune Function: Prolonged stress from overwhelming homework loads can weaken the immune system, making students more susceptible to illnesses and infections.

* Disrupted Hormonal Balance: The body's stress response triggers the release of hormones like cortisol, which, when chronically elevated due to stress, can disrupt the delicate hormonal balance and lead to various health issues.

* Gastrointestinal Disturbances: Stress has been known to affect the gastrointestinal system, leading to symptoms such as stomachaches, nausea, and other digestive problems.

* Cardiovascular Impact: The increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure associated with stress can strain the cardiovascular system, potentially increasing the risk of heart-related issues in the long run.

* Brain impact: Prolonged exposure to stress hormones may impact the brain's functioning , affecting memory, concentration, and cognitive abilities.

The Benefits of Homework

It's important to note that homework also offers several benefits that contribute to students' academic growth and development, such as:

* Development of Time Management Skills: Completing homework within specified deadlines encourages students to manage their time efficiently. This valuable skill extends beyond academics and becomes essential in various aspects of life.

* Preparation for Future Challenges: Homework helps prepare students for future academic challenges and responsibilities. It fosters a sense of discipline and responsibility, qualities that are crucial for success in higher education and professional life.

* Enhanced Problem-Solving Abilities: Homework often presents students with challenging problems to solve. Tackling these problems independently nurtures critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

However, while homework can foster discipline, time management, and self-directed learning, it is crucial to strike a balance that promotes both academic growth and mental well-being.

How Much Homework Should Teachers Assign?

As a general guideline, educators should be assigning a workload that allows students to grasp concepts effectively without overwhelming them. Quality over quantity is key, ensuring that homework assignments are purposeful, relevant, and targeted towards specific objectives.

Advice for Students: How to balance Homework and Well-being

Finding a balance between academic responsibilities and well-being is crucial for students. Here are some practical tips and techniques to help manage homework-related stress and foster a healthier approach to learning:

* Effective Time Management: Encourage students to create a structured study schedule that allocates sufficient time for homework, breaks, and other activities. Prioritizing tasks and setting realistic goals can prevent last-minute rushes and reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed.

* Break Tasks into Smaller Chunks: Large assignments can be daunting and may contribute to stress. Students should break such tasks into smaller, manageable parts. This approach not only makes the workload seem less intimidating but also provides a sense of accomplishment as each section is completed.

* Find a Distraction-Free Zone: Establish a designated study area that is free from distractions like smartphones, television, or social media. This setting will improve focus and productivity, reducing time needed to complete homework.

* Be Active: Regular exercise is known to reduce stress and enhance mood. Encourage students to incorporate physical activity into their daily routine, whether it's going for a walk, playing a sport, or doing yoga.

* Practice Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques: Encourage students to engage in mindfulness practices, such as deep breathing exercises or meditation, to alleviate stress and improve concentration. Taking short breaks to relax and clear the mind can enhance overall well-being and cognitive performance.

* Seek Support: Teachers, parents, and school counselors play an essential role in supporting students. Create an open and supportive environment where students feel comfortable expressing their concerns and seeking help when needed.

How Healium is Helping in Schools

We find it gratifying to not only explore the impact of homework on stress levels but also to take part in the solution. Our innovative mental fitness tool is playing a role in paving a brighter and more balanced future in education. Schools implementing Healium have witnessed remarkable improvements in student outcomes, from supporting dysregulated students and ADHD challenges to empowering students with body awareness and learning to self-regulate stress.

By providing students with the tools they need to manage stress and anxiety, we represent a forward-looking approach to education that prioritizes the holistic development of every student. Healium not only enhances academic success but also equips students with vital skills that will serve them well beyond the classroom.
To learn more about how Healium works, watch the video below!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Does Homework Cause Stress? Exploring the Impact on Students' Mental Health - Healium

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Uncover the effects of homework-induced stress on students' mental well-being and how to foster a balanced approach to education.