Pollen exposure is linked to poorer exam results taken at the end of secondary (high) school (matriculation), with the effects especially noticeable in subjects involving maths, including physics and chemistry, finds research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
Recognition is needed of the adverse effects of fluctuations in pollen levels on academic performance and the potential impact on a student's future prospects, conclude the researchers.
Allergic rhinitis, caused by an allergic reaction to nasal irritants, such as dust, pet hair, mould and pollen, is known to undermine wellbeing and undermine cardiovascular health, sleep quality, concentration, and mood, explain the researchers.
These effects can be amplified by air pollution and extreme weather, which alter plant growth, pollen production, and allergenic potential, they add. But it's not clear if pollen exposure might also affect academic performance.
To explore this further, the researchers studied all 92,280 students who took the national high school matriculation exam in the metropolitan areas of Helsinki and Turku in southern Finland between 2006 and 2020.
The researchers retrieved matriculation exam results from Statistics Finland, focusing on grades obtained in Finnish, History and Social Studies, Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry to see if they changed in relation to pollen exposure during this period. The students' average age was 19, but ranged from 16 to 77.
Daily regional pollen counts of alder (Alnus spp) and hazel (Corylus avellana) were monitored throughout this period, because these are the only plants that bloom and release pollen grains in Finland around the time of the spring matriculation exams.
Levels were expressed as pollen grains per cubic metre of air and classified as low (1–10); moderate (10–100); or abundant (100+). Data on air pollution (PM2.5, O3, NO2) and weather were obtained from the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
The maximum average daily alder pollen count was 521 pollen grains/cubic metre of air on an exam day; that of hazel was 57/cubic metre of air.
In all, 156,059 exam scores were included in the analysis, which showed that matriculation exam scores fell noticeably on days with low and high levels of pollen (U-shaped curve) compared with days when there was no pollen in the air.
An average environmental increase of 10 alder and hazel pollen grains was associated with a fall in the standardised matriculation exam score by an average of 0.0034 and 0.0144, respectively. This corresponds to a reduction in points of 0.042 and 0.17, respectively (on a scale of 0–66).
The fall in matriculation exam scores was even greater after accounting for temperature, ambient air pollution, and rainfall during exam hours.
Similar trends were observed for both sexes, although an increase of 10 alder pollen grains was associated with a statistically significant drop in the matriculation exam scores only among females, corresponding to a reduction of 0.0652 points.
Each additional 10 pollen grain increase in alder was associated with a statistically significant fall in exam scores in maths subjects for both subjects, possibly because these subjects require a greater level of accuracy and concentration, suggest the researchers.
On the other hand, hazel pollen exposure was associated with a drop in maths scores only among males.
This is an observational study, and as such, no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect. And the researchers acknowledge that they didn't have any information on who, among the students, was allergic to pollen, although around 1 in 5 secondary school students is affected by allergic rhinitis, they point out.
"Because of this, it is likely that the drop in matriculation exam scores observed in the data is largely explained by pollen induced symptoms among students who were allergic... It would be likely that those suffering from pollen allergies would have a higher than average drop in matriculation exam scores," they explain.
"This is relevant for the student's future because the scores of the matriculation exams have a reasonably prominent weight value when applying for further education, as well as placement in working life and income," they add.
They conclude: "From the point of view of further education studies and employment, it is important to be aware that exposure to pollen can impair success in test situations.
"To create more equal performance conditions, we should find solutions to reduce exposure to pollen and its harmful effects (eg, scheduling exams outside the pollen season), to improve preparedness (eg, more accurate and accessible pollen information) and/or to start medication in a timely way (eg, increasing the awareness of healthcare professionals and people who are allergic to pollen)."
