Understanding the relationship between school-based health center use, school connection, and academic performance.

School-based health centers (SBHCs) benefit the overall health of underserved communities. In fact, there is an abundance of evidence suggesting the positive effects that SBHCs have on physical and mental health. However, research related to understanding the relationship of SBHCs to academic outcomes such as performance and school connectedness is sparse. The purpose of the current study was to (a) compare differences between elementary, middle, and high school student SBHC users and nonusers on school connectedness and (b) test the pathways between SBHC usage and academic performance. A structural equation model was tested and found significant pathways between SBHCs, school connectedness, and academic performance.