More than one billion Muslims are fasting every year in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan. In addition to abstaining from food and drink every day between sunrise and sunset, many believers participate more than usual in social activities during that time. This includes, for example, the daily fast-breaking with friends and family or with the congregation after the service. In a recent study, economists from Konstanz, Cologne and Bern come to the conclusion: The social aspects of Ramadan, in particular, appear to have a positive impact on the school performance of adolescent believers. The research results were published in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization.
Improved performance through increased social capital
In the study, the researchers examine the question of whether Ramadan fasting has an effect on the school performance of eighth graders that lasts beyond the fasting period and whether this effect is related to the intensity of fasting. Their finding: Although the physically demanding fasting is known to have negative effects on concentration during the fasting period, students in Muslim countries performed better in the international school performance survey TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) after intensive Ramadan fasting than after a less intensive Ramadan.
