Modelling the Effects of Environmental and Social Factors on Academic Performance Through Student’s Physical Condition Using Structural Equation Modelling

Abstract

Academic performance is influenced by various environmental and social factors, yet the complex relationships among these factors remain difficult to explain using conventional statistical methods. This study aims to model the effects of environmental and social factors on academic performance through students' physical condition using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Secondary data from the Student Stress Monitoring Dataset obtained from Kaggle were analyzed. The analytical procedure included data preprocessing, measurement model evaluation using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and structural model assessment based on goodness-of-fit indices. Environmental and social factors were specified as exogenous variables, students' physical condition as the mediating variable, and academic performance as the endogenous variable. The results indicate that both environmental and social factors significantly affect students' physical condition, with social factors demonstrating a stronger influence. Furthermore, students' physical condition has a significant positive effect on academic performance, confirming its mediating role in the proposed model. Following model modification, the structural model achieved acceptable goodness-of-fit, indicating that the proposed SEM adequately represents the relationships among the studied variables. These findings emphasize the importance of supportive environmental and social conditions in improving students' academic performance through better physical well-being