Childhood obesity indicates greater risk of school absenteeism, Penn study revealsAugust 13, 2007In the first study of how weight may affect school attendance, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University have found that overweight children are at greater risk of school absenteeism than their normal-weight peers. The study of more than a thousand 4th, 5th and 6th graders in the Philadelphia school system also determined that body mass index, or BMI, is as significant a factor in determining absenteeism from school as age, race, socioeconomic status and gender, formerly the four main predictors. The study found that overweight children were absent on average 20 percent more than their normal-weight peers. "At this young age, children are not necessarily experiencing the health problems that will likely confront them later in life unless serious intervention takes place," said Andrew B. Geier, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Psychology in the School of Arts and Sciences at Penn. "However, they are missing school at a greater rate than their peers, setting themselves up for the negative fallout that accompanies absenteeism. What's keeping them from school, more than heath issues, is the stigma and the bullying that accompanies being overweight. Future research should explore this additional, very damaging side effect of being overweight." The study builds on others that show that the medical and psychosocial consequences of being overweight are numerous and still being discovered. The disadvantages that arise from missing school such as increased drug use, increased rates of pregnancy and poor academic performance have been previously documented. Meanwhile, the rate of childhood obesity has tripled in the United States during the past 25 years. The four indicators of increased absenteeism among school children have traditionally been race, socioeconomic status, age and gender. Young men from economically disadvantaged, minority populations were considered at greater risk for school absenteeism, and that remains true; however, in this study, BMI was a better indicator of poor classroom attendance than these traditional factors or any others. Researchers attempted to control for the socioeconomic differences among students by selecting inner-city schools that were homogeneously among the city's poorest. More than 80 percent of students at these schools were eligible for free and reduced-cost meal plans. University of Pennsylvania |
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| Related Childhood Obesity Current Events and Childhood Obesity News Articles Teens' mental health affects how long they stay in school, new study shows Queen's University researcher Steven Lehrer has won a prestigious international award in recognition of his contributions to health economics. Physical education key to improving health in low-income adolescents School-based physical education plays a key role in curbing obesity and improving fitness among adolescents from low-income communities, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and UC Berkeley. TV bombards children with commercials for high-fat and high-sugar foods Childhood obesity in the United States is reaching epidemic proportions. With more than one fourth of advertising on daytime and prime time television devoted to foods and beverages and continuing questions about the role television plays in obesity. Study: Lap band surgery effective for morbidly obese children A surgeon at Children's National Medical Center and his colleagues from New York University have found laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (Lap band) to improve the health of morbidly obese adolescents. ISU study finds intervention program helps kids eat healthier, reduce screen time A new Iowa State University study found that a family, school and community intervention program helps children live healthier lives and could be a new tool in the fight against the nation's childhood obesity epidemic. UNC study: Color-coded chart improves parents' understanding of body mass index (BMI) In the study, published in the September/October 2009 issue of journal Academic Pediatrics, a sample of 163 parents of children seen at pediatric clinics at UNC and Vanderbilt University were tested to assess their understanding of BMI, their health literacy and their math abilities. Current national primary care policies for childhood obesity need to be improved Current primary care policies aimed at reducing obesity and increasing physical activity in children do not work and are very costly to run. Health experts offer action steps local governments can use to cut childhood obesity rates Zoning restrictions on fast-food restaurants near schools and playgrounds, community policing to improve safety around public recreational sites, requirements that publicly run after-school programs limit video game and TV time, and taxes on high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and drinks are some of the strategies local government officials can use to tackle the childhood obesity epidemic in their communities. Weight-loss surgery can break a family's cycle of obesity Adolescent and young children of obese mothers who underwent weight-loss surgery prior to pregnancy have been found to have a lower prevalence of obesity and significantly improved cardio-metabolic markers when compared to siblings born before the same obese mothers had weight-loss surgery. Childhood obesity: The increasing vascular drama Obesity is one of the most important health problems in industrialized countries irrespective of socio-economic status, age, sex or ethnicity. More Childhood Obesity Current Events and Childhood Obesity News Articles |
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