Impact of Pediatric Obesity on Grades in Elementary School

Objective: The current study examines the relationship between obesity and academic performance among second grade students. We hypothesized that students who were overweight or obese would have poorer grades than students who were normal weight. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Seven elementary schools from a southeast Texas Independent School District. Participants: The sample was composed of 798 ethnically and racially diverse elementary school children. Students were classified as normal weight, overweight, and obese. Main Outcome Measures: Differences in cumulative grades (math, science, and reading) across weight classifications were examined using sex, race/ethnicity, and school socioeconomic level as covariates. Additionally, all subject areas were analyzed independently. Analysis: Linear mixed models and follow-up pairwise comparisons. Results:The linear mixed model revealed significant differences in grades across weight classifications (p\u3c.05). Conclusions and Implications: This study suggests that weight status is an important marker of scholastic success. Addressing overweight may bolster efforts to improve academic performance