Overweight children, weight-based teasing and academic performance. Krukowski, R. A, West, D. S., Philyaw Perez, A., Bursac, Z., Phillips, M. M, & Raczynski, J. M International journal of pediatric obesity: IJPO: an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 4(4):274–280, 2009.
doi  abstract   bibtex   
BACKGROUND School performance of overweight children has been found to be inferior to normal weight children; however, the reason(s) for this link between overweight and academic performance remain unclear. Psychosocial factors, such as weight-based teasing, have been proposed as having a possible mediating role, although they remain largely unexplored. METHODS Random parental telephone survey data (N=1 071) of public school students collected as part of the statewide evaluation of Arkansas Act 1220, a law to reduce childhood obesity, were used. Overweight status (body mass index \textgreater 85th percentile for gender and age) and weight-based teasing were examined as predictors of poorer school performance. RESULTS Overweight status was a significant predictor of poorer school performance (OR=1.51; 95% CI=1.01, 2.25), after adjustment for gender, school level, free and reduced lunch participation, and race. However, the addition of weight-based teasing to the model (with weight category and covariates) reduced the weight category parameter estimate by 24%, becoming non-significant (OR=1.40; 95% CI=0.93, 2.10) and indicating a possible mediating effect of weight-based teasing on the relationship between weight category and school performance. Weight-based teasing was significantly associated with school performance, with lower odds of strong school performance among weight-based teased children (OR=0.44; 95% CI=0.27, 0.74). CONCLUSION Psychosocial variables, such as weight-based teasing, should be considered in future research examining the impact of childhood obesity on school performance and in future intervention studies.
@article{krukowski_overweight_2009,
	title = {Overweight children, weight-based teasing and academic performance},
	volume = {4},
	issn = {1747-7174},
	doi = {10.3109/17477160902846203},
	abstract = {BACKGROUND

School performance of overweight children has been found to be inferior to normal weight children; however, the reason(s) for this link between overweight and academic performance remain unclear. Psychosocial factors, such as weight-based teasing, have been proposed as having a possible mediating role, although they remain largely unexplored.


METHODS

Random parental telephone survey data (N=1 071) of public school students collected as part of the statewide evaluation of Arkansas Act 1220, a law to reduce childhood obesity, were used. Overweight status (body mass index {\textgreater} 85th percentile for gender and age) and weight-based teasing were examined as predictors of poorer school performance.


RESULTS

Overweight status was a significant predictor of poorer school performance (OR=1.51; 95\% CI=1.01, 2.25), after adjustment for gender, school level, free and reduced lunch participation, and race. However, the addition of weight-based teasing to the model (with weight category and covariates) reduced the weight category parameter estimate by 24\%, becoming non-significant (OR=1.40; 95\% CI=0.93, 2.10) and indicating a possible mediating effect of weight-based teasing on the relationship between weight category and school performance. Weight-based teasing was significantly associated with school performance, with lower odds of strong school performance among weight-based teased children (OR=0.44; 95\% CI=0.27, 0.74).


CONCLUSION

Psychosocial variables, such as weight-based teasing, should be considered in future research examining the impact of childhood obesity on school performance and in future intervention studies.},
	number = {4},
	journal = {International journal of pediatric obesity: IJPO: an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity},
	author = {Krukowski, Rebecca A and West, Delia Smith and Philyaw Perez, Amanda and Bursac, Zoran and Phillips, Martha M and Raczynski, James M},
	year = {2009},
	pmid = {19922042},
	keywords = {Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, Arkansas, Body Mass Index, Child, Child Behavior, Child, Preschool, Cross-Sectional Studies, Educational Measurement, Educational Status, Female, Humans, Intelligence, Logistic Models, Male, Odds Ratio, Overweight, Prejudice, Risk Assessment, Risk Factors, STUDENTS, Stereotyping},
	pages = {274--280},
}

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