89 Chapter #8 EVALUATION OF A FACTOR THAT INFLUENCES SCHOOL FAILURE IN A GROUP OF ADOLESCENTS IN IASI COUNTY - FATIGUE Adriana Albu 1 , Mihaela Vlada 2 , & Florin Dima 2 1 Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania 2 Vaslui Public Health Department, Romania ABSTRACT School activity is characterized by high physical and mental demands. Any failure to adapt these requests to the possibilities of the age group can be associated with school failure. The study was carried out on a group of 208 students from the 9 th grade from three high schools in Iasi county. A questionnaire regarding school activity and the causes of the phenomenon of school fatigue was applied. The results were processed using Pearson's chi-squared test. The students are constantly preparing only for certain subjects (72.59%). In most cases (65.86%) adolescents admit that they have been taught how to study only in certain subjects. Fatigue is often present in 58.65% of students. The students attribute the occurrence of this phenomenon to the numerous subjects they have to study (55.76), the large volume of homework (51.92%), insufficient sleep (48.55%), teachers being too strict (25%), or the breaks being too short (25%). Special attention must be paid to nighttime sleep which is insufficient in 66,82% of cases. Many factors that generate school fatigue must be known and carefully assessed in order to reduce the frequency of this phenomenon. Keywords: school failure, fatigue, demanding activity. 1. INTRODUCTION In Romania, in the past few years, we have witnessed a drastic decrease in the number of young people graduating high school and passing the baccalaureate exam. It is a school failure situation that is becoming worrying. The indicators used to assess this phenomenon are represented by the early abandonment of studies, the gap between the student's potential and their results, abandoning school without a qualification, and failing the final exams. The appearance of the phenomenon of school failure is favored by several factors related to the student, school, family, or educational environment (Cosmovici & Iacob, 2008). Of the factors that regard the student, health must be given special attention. We must be aware of certain organic diseases, physical or sensory deficiencies, and some individual psychological factors. In adolescents, the aspects related to nutrition and physical exercise become essential due to the current beauty ideal represented by the thin young woman and the muscular young man (Nagata, Ferguson, & Ross, 2016; Salam, Das, Lassi, & Bhutta, 2016). Particular attention should be paid to overweight students who will be the target of their colleagues' jokes. This will make them focus too much on their own body and isolate themselves (Abălașei & Trofin, 2016). The second factor which should be closely analyzed is the school environment. The school environment must ensure lasting social development, to practically guarantee the progress of society. In this sense, it is necessary to find the answers to the following