Background: Academic stress can negatively influence academic performance, particularly in health science programs with high demands. Objective: To analyze the association between perceived academic stress and academic performance in first-year kinesiology students, considering gender differences and stress dimensions (stressors, reactions, and coping strategies). Methods: This cross-sectional study included 82 students assessed using the SISCO-IIA inventory. Academic performance was measured via final course grades. Descriptive analyses, chi-square tests, t-tests, and binary logistic regression models were applied. Results: Students with high levels of academic stressors were significantly more likely to underperform (OR = 4.62, 95% CI [1.24, 17.22], p = 0.023). Female students reported higher emotional and behavioral responses to stress but were less likely to underperform (OR = 0.30, 95% CI [0.11, 0.79], p = 0.014). Age was not significantly associated with performance (p = 0.433). Conclusion: Academic stress negatively influences academic outcomes among first-year students. Gender differences in stress response patterns may affect vulnerability and coping effectiveness. These findings highlight the need for early screening, targeted interventions, and support systems to mitigate academic stress and promote student success.

Air pollution from particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) may negatively impact students’ learning due to its neurotoxic effects. Therefore, we ask: What is the effect of PM2.5 air pollution on the academic performance of Chilean eighth-grade students? Objective: To compare the academic performance of eighth-grade students living in the three most PM2.5-polluted areas of Chile with those living in the three least polluted areas. Additionally, we compared the academic performance of schools in the most and least polluted areas according to their administrative dependency. Methodology: Academic performance was assessed using the results of the 2019 SIMCE test (mathematics, and language score). The most and least polluted areas were determined based on the three-year average PM2.5 levels reported by the Chilean Ministry of the Environment. Results: The mathematics and language scores were lower in schools located in areas with higher pollution PM2.5 with a small effect size. When analyzing the scores by administrative dependency, students from subsidized schools in highly polluted areas obtained lower scores in all tests compared to those in less polluted areas, a pattern not observed in private or municipal schools. Conclusion: These findings suggest that PM2.5 pollution alone may not fully explain variations in academic performance, highlighting the need to explore additional contributing factors.

In Chile, Puchuncaví and Quintero face substantial environmental pollution challenges. Industrial and vehicular emissions expose schoolchildren to elevated levels of pollutants, decreasing sustainability and posing risks to both their health and educational advancement. The aim of this study is to determine the distribution of heavy metals (Li, Be, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Se, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sb, Tl, Pb, and Cu) in the dust in and around the schools in these cities. We also evaluate the associated carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks, as well as whether their concentrations affect the academic performance (AP) of the students. The chemical composition of the collected dust samples is analyzed using positive matrix factorization, and two interpretable factors related to two sources of contamination (industrial and traffic + crustal) are determined. The health risk is assessed using a model including inhalation, dermal contact, and ingestion, and the influence of metal concentration on the AP of students is determined using an econometric model. The metal concentration is found to be related to the distance to the pollution source, and differences are observed between indoor and outdoor samples. The carcinogenic risk is low, while the non-carcinogenic risk is high in Greda School. The levels of heavy metals inside and outside the schools are found to influence AP. In these cities, children are exposed to high levels of environmental pollution, which may pose a risk to their health and impact their AP.