About The Study: In this study of 1,270 youths, those who attended a high-performing public charter high school reported substantially lower rates of substance use disorder and delinquent behaviors through age 21. Attendance at such a school was also associated with substantially better physical health and lower obesity or overweight rates among male participants but substantially worse physical health outcomes among female participants. This study used the random school admissions lottery system of high-performing public charter high schools in low-income neighborhoods of Los Angeles to examine the health outcomes of students who applied to at least one of five of these high schools. Participants attended 147 different high schools and were randomly selected from those who won the admissions lottery (intervention group) and those who were placed on a waiting list (control group).
Authors: Mitchell D. Wong, M.D., Ph.D., of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in Los Angeles, is the corresponding author.
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(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.35083)
