The Interplay of Students’ Lifestyle, Mental Health, and Academic Performance in a Public High School

Abstract

Within the Philippine educational setting, proper nutrition plays a vital role in supporting students’ mental health and academic performance. However, breakfast skipping and unhealthy dietary patterns remain prevalent among adolescents. This study aimed to assess the correlation between breakfast skipping, daily dietary patterns, mental health, and academic performance among Grade 7 to 9 students of San Isidro National High School in Tagbilaran City, Bohol during the school year 2025–2026 as the basis for a proposed intervention program. A quantitative descriptive- correlational design was employed utilizing stratified random sampling with 151 respondents. Data were collected through a validated researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed using frequency, percentage, weighted mean, and Spearman rank correlation. The findings revealed that a significant number of students frequently skip breakfast and exhibit poor dietary patterns characterized by low consumption of nutrient-rich foods. In addition, students manifested moderate levels of stress, anxiety, and emotional concerns. Furthermore, results showed a significant correlation between breakfast habits and dietary patterns with mental health; however, no significant correlation was found between these variables and academic performance. The study concludes that nutritional habits influence students’ mental well-being but not directly their academic performance. Therefore, the researcher highly recommends the implementation of an appropriate intervention program to improve students’ nutritional practices and mental well-being.