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The effects of alcohol use on academic achievement in high school

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  • Balsa, Ana I.
  • Giuliano, Laura M.
  • French, Michael T.

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of alcohol use on high school students' quality of learning. We estimate fixed-effects models using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Our primary measure of academic achievement is the student's grade point average (GPA) abstracted from official school transcripts. We find that increases in alcohol consumption result in small yet statistically significant reductions in GPA for male students and in statistically non-significant changes for females. For females, however, higher levels of drinking result in self-reported academic difficulty. The fixed-effects results are substantially smaller than OLS estimates, underscoring the importance of addressing unobserved individual heterogeneity.

Suggested Citation

  • Balsa, Ana I. & Giuliano, Laura M. & French, Michael T., 2011. "The effects of alcohol use on academic achievement in high school," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 1-15, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:30:y:2011:i:1:p:1-15
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    6. Wang, Kurt & Sabia, Joseph J. & Cesur, Resul, 2016. "Sleepwalking through School: New Evidence on Sleep and Academic Performance," IZA Discussion Papers 9829, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Baert, Stijn & Omey, Eddy & Verhaest, Dieter & Vermeir, Aurélie, 2015. "Mister Sandman, bring me good marks! On the relationship between sleep quality and academic achievement," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 91-98.
    8. Natasa Zenic & Admir Terzic & Ljerka Ostojic & Nedim Sisic & Jose M. Saavedra & Hafrún Kristjánsdóttir & Margrét L. Guðmundsdóttir & Damir Sekulic, 2019. "Educational and sport factors as predictors of harmful alcohol drinking in adolescence: a prospective study in Bosnia and Herzegovina," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 64(2), pages 185-194, March.
    9. Nicole M. Fortin & Philip Oreopoulos & Shelley Phipps, 2015. "Leaving Boys Behind: Gender Disparities in High Academic Achievement," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 50(3), pages 549-579.
    10. Bou-Hamad, Imad, 2020. "The impact of social media usage and lifestyle habits on academic achievement: Insights from a developing country context," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    11. BARONE, Adriana & NESE, Annamaria, 2017. "Investment in Education, Obesity and Health Behaviours," CELPE Discussion Papers 146, CELPE - CEnter for Labor and Political Economics, University of Salerno, Italy.
    12. Joseph J. Sabia & Kurt Wang & Resul Cesur, 2017. "Sleepwalking Through School: New Evidence On Sleep And Academic Achievement," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 35(2), pages 331-344, April.
    13. Mangiavacchi, Lucia & Piccoli, Luca, 2018. "Parental alcohol consumption and adult children's educational attainment," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 132-145.
    14. Adams, Scott J. & Heywood, John S. & Ullman, Darin F. & Venkatesh, Shrathinth, 2022. "Social jobs and the returns to drinking," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).
    15. Yörük Barış K., 2017. "Health Insurance Coverage and Risky Health Behaviors among Young Adults," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 17(3), pages 1-21, July.
    16. Sarah See, 2016. "Parental supervision and adolescent risky behaviors," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 185-206, March.
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    18. Josipa Mihić & Martie Skinner & Miranda Novak & Martina Ferić & Valentina Kranželić, 2022. "The Importance of Family and School Protective Factors in Preventing the Risk Behaviors of Youth," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-14, January.

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