Weiyun Chen, Austin Hammond-Bennett, Andrew Hypnar, Steve Mason
Health-related physical fitness and physical activity in elementary school students
BMC public health
science technology engineering mathematics stem education stressful uncertainty exists whether stressful academic settings elevate cortisol particularly among students underrepresented racialethnic groups b whether cortisol responses associated academic performance four classes around first exam gateway college stem course investigated participants n 271 cortisol levels function raceethnicity tested whether cortisol responses predicted students performance regardless raceethnicity students cortisol average declined beginning end class across four classes among underrepresented minority urm students higher cortisol responses predicted better performance lower likelihood dropping course among nonurm students associations urm students lower cortisol responses may indicated disengagement whereas higher cortisol responses may indicated striving implication cortisol responses depend members group experience environment