(How) Does Obesity Harm Academic Performance? Stratification at the Intersection of Race, Sex, and Body Size in Elementary and High School

Weight discrimination inflates psychological health risk and academic impairment in sexual minority cisgender college students relative to their heterosexual peers

This study examined whether exposure to weight discrimination modified the association between sexual orientation, self-reported eating disorders, self-reported depression and academic impairment in a large sample of college students. Participants (n = 13,782) were from the 2015-2018 College Student Health Survey. Logistic regressions tested whether weight discrimination magnified psychological health concerns and academic impairment in sexual minority students (i.e., lesbian, gay) relative to their heterosexual peers and were stratified by gender (cisgender men and cisgender women). Sexual minority men and women reported more weight discrimination, eating disorders, depression, and academic impairment than their heterosexual peers, even after controlling for BMI and race. Among sexual minority men and women, weight discrimination was associated with increased eating disorders and academic impairment, but not depression. Weight discrimination increased the rate of eating disorders, depression, and academic impairment, however, the rate was still higher among sexual minority students regardless of weight discrimination status or gender. College-based interventions should aim to reduce weight stigmatization and its associated influence on psychological health and academic functioning, and address the needs of sexual minority college students, as they may be at highest risk. Clinicians should work to reduce the harms of weight discrimination, particularly in sexual minority young adults.

The effects of relative body weight on socioemotional and schooling outcomes among female adolescents in the United States

RATIONALE

An extensive literature has shown that individuals, especially women, with higher body mass index (BMI) face a range of negative life outcomes. Most previous studies rely on absolute measures of body weight, such as BMI and obesity status, to estimate the social impact of body weight. Using absolute measures of body weight, however, is inconsistent with social-psychological theories that explain the effects of body weight because they conflate the social effects of body weight with biological processes of body weight.

OBJECTIVE

This study extends the literature by utilizing a relative measure of body weight, or a student's BMI rank within her relevant peer group, to examine the impact of body weight on youth outcomes.

METHODS

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and leveraging a quasi-experimental research design, this study examines the association between relative BMI and socioemotional and schooling outcomes among female adolescents in the United States.

RESULTS

Results show that female students with high relative BMI are more likely to experience a decrease in self-esteem and an increase in depressive symptoms, even after adjusting for absolute BMI and weight perceptions. These effects are partially explained by lower levels of school attachment (∼26% for self-esteem and ∼15% for depressive symptoms). This study also finds that relative BMI is associated with an increased risk of high school dropout, but not college attainment and completed years of schooling. The association between relative BMI and high school dropout is partially explained by a combination of lowered self-esteem (∼7%), increased depressive symptoms (∼12%), as well as a decline in academic achievement (∼33%) and aspirations (∼12%).

CONCLUSION

We argue that to better understand how body weight affects one' life outcomes, it is essential to take into consideration the social contexts in which one is embedded.

Adolescents' nutritional status and its association with academic performance in South Ethiopia; a facility-based cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Adolescence is a particularly vulnerable stages of life in which malnutrition inhibits academic performance through poor growth and development, mental retardation, poor overall cognitive function and poor health status. However, there is a dearth of evidence regarding the association between nutritional status and academic performance among adolescent students. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the association of nutritional status and academic performance among adolescent secondary school students in Wolaita Sodo town, Southern Ethiopia.

METHODS

A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 670 systematically selected adolescents in secondary schools of Wolaita Sodo town from April to June 2019. The academic performance of the adolescents was measured using the mean mark score of two consecutive semesters' results of all subjects. Data were analyzed using Stata software Version 15. Descriptive statistics, binary and multiple linear regression analysis were done. Statistical association of dependent and independent variables was declared at p-value < 0.05.

RESULTS

The mean academic performance of students was 69.21 ± 0.42 (95% CI: 68.34-70.02%). A mean mark score of students increased by 1.89 (β = 1.89; 95%CI: 1.14, 2.64) for a unit increase in BMI for age z-score. Being female decreased a mean mark score by 2.63 (β = - 2.63; 95%CI: - 4.28, - 0.98) and being from a separated parents decreased by 4.73 (β = - 4. 73; 95%CI: - 6.73, - 2.74). A mean mark score of students from the first wealth class decreased by 9.92 (- 9.92; 95%CI: - 12.79, - 7.04) as compared to students from the highest wealth class. Attending private schools increased the mean mark score of students by 4.18 (β = 4.18; 95% CI: 2.46, 5.90).

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions targeted at adolescents' nutritional status should be designed and implemented. The town education office and concerned bodies should launch a school feeding program for public schools. Development and income generation activities should target households in the first wealth status. Schools are recommended to design additional teaching and learning schemes such as tutorial classes for girl students.

Kindergarten Obesity and Academic Achievement: The Mediating Role of Weight Bias

This study draws the attention towards the importance of reducing weight discrimination against children for their educational success, as an issue of social justice. We investigate the consequences of early-onset obesity identifying the mediating mechanisms in the relationship between childhood obesity and academic achievement. To do so, we employ the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort (kindergarten to fifth grade) in the US (ECLS-K: 2011) and apply a parallel process latent growth model with a combination of quasi-experiments and econometrics. The results of this study suggest that teachers may serve as a significant source of weight bias, especially for girls (B = -0.09, 95% BC CI [-2.37 to -0.46]).

The weight of school grades: Evidence of biased teachers' evaluations against overweight students in Germany

Discrimination and prejudice against overweight people is common in Western societies. In this article we aim to understand whether these attitudes reverberate into the school setting, by investigating whether teachers grade overweight students more severely than comparable normal weight students. By relying on the Attribution-Value Model of Prejudice (AVMP) and previous studies, we test a series of hypotheses using data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS SC3) on a sample of students enrolled in the 7^th grade (lower secondary education). We used hierarchical ordered logit regression to assess whether overweight and obese students receive systematically lower grades by their teachers in German and mathematics, adjusting for subject-specific competences measured with a standardized test, and a rich set of socio-demographic and socio-psychological students’ characteristics (e.g. the “big five”). Results suggested that overweight and obese students were more severely graded in both subjects. The penalty for overweight students, and especially for obese students, was slightly larger in German and in the lowest part of the grade distribution. There was also indication of heterogeneous penalties by gender, with overweight male students being especially penalized in math. Possible ways to help teachers in assigning grades in a fairer way are discussed at the end.

Do White People See Variation in Black Skin Tones? Reexamining a Purported Outgroup Homogeneity Effect

Previous research has reported that white survey interviewers remember black respondents’ skin tones in a much narrower range than recollections by black interviewers. This finding has been used to suggest that, in line with the one-drop rule, whites do not perceive meaningful differences between light- and dark-skinned black people. The authors reanalyze evidence thought to demonstrate relative homogeneity in white interviewers’ evaluation of black skin tones. In contrast to previous studies, this examination of several data sources reveals significant heterogeneity in the ratings assigned by white interviewers when taking into account the ordinal nature of the skin tone measures. The results are consistent with theories of social cognition that emphasize that beyond formal racial classification schemes, skin tone is used to implicitly categorize others along a continuum of “blackness.” The findings also align with research suggesting that rather than nullifying within-race skin tone, increases in white racism intensify white colorism.

Barriers to Bachelor's Degree Completion among College Students with a Disability

One of the fastest growing groups on college campuses is students with disabilities, but their rates of bachelor's degree completion remain low. We build on research about barriers to degree completion among historically underrepresented groups on college campuses to examine the extent to which academic preparation before college and processes during college contribute to gaps in bachelor's degree completion among four-year college students with a mental or physical disability. Using the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study, we find that students with a mental disability are significantly less likely to complete a bachelor's degree than students without disabilities and students with a physical disability, net of students' family and academic background. Decomposition of the estimated indirect effect of mental disability on degree completion reveals first-year academic performance as the largest contributor. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications for understanding the barriers faced by college students with a mental disability.

Overnutrition and Associated Factors: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study between Government and Private Primary School Students in Gondar Town, Northwest Ethiopia

Introduction

Childhood overnutrition is a public health problem in low- and middle-income countries because its effect is likely to progress into adulthood that results in developing noncommunicable diseases at a younger age. There is no such previous comparative study that investigated this issue. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and associated factors of overnutrition among government and private primary school students in Gondar town, northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

Institution-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from March 5 to April 9, 2019. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 736 participants. Data were collected through face-to-face interview. Data was entered into EPI-info version 7.2.1.0 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions were carried out to identify associated factors with overnutrition. Statistical significance was declared using p value< 0.05.

Results

The overall prevalence of overnutrition was 9.1%. The prevalence was higher among private schools (51 (14%)) than government (16 (4.3%)). Eating habit while watching television (AOR = 4.08, 95%CI: 1.10–15.16) and not having close friend (AOR = 3.72, 95%: CI: 1.21–2 11.48) were significantly associated with overnutrition in the government schools, while no father education (AOR = 2.59, 95%:CI:1.05–6.39), sweet food preference (AOR = 2.86, 95%:1.19–6.87), fat consumption more than three days per week (AOR = 3.79, 95%CI:1.61–8.91), eating habit while reading (AOR = 4.95, 95%CI:2.29–10.70), and vigorous-intensity sports (AOR = 2.23, 95%:1.02–4.86) were associated with overnutrition in private schools.

Conclusion

Prevalence of overnutrition was higher among private than government schools. Hence, it requires attention through creating awareness about healthy diet, healthy lifestyle, and physical activity in collaboration with health and education sectors.

Correlations between Excessive Body Mass Index, Body Perception, Physical Activity, and Respiratory Functions among Youths in an Urban Setting of Vietnam

Young adults are susceptible to overweight and obesity and their adverse outcomes. However, limited studies have been conducted to understand this health problem in Vietnamese youths. This study was conducted to examine the rate of overweight and obesity, as well as the relationship between this condition on body perception, physical activity, and respiratory function among young adults in Hanoi, Vietnam. We performed a cross-sectional survey with 367 students aged 18-25 years at the Hanoi University of Pharmacy from June 2017 to June 2018. The result showed that the rate of overweight and obesity in our sample was 16.6%. There were 55.7% of overweight/obese students having the misperception of their body image. Results of multivariate regression analysis showed that overweight/obesity increased nearly three times (OR = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.5-5.0) the ability to be active. Overweight/obese students with physical activity had a better respiratory function. To conclude, this study underlined the associations between overweight and obesity with physical activity, body image, and respiratory function in our young sample. Further longitudinal studies should be warranted to examine their causal relationships.

Weight bias and grading among middle and high school teachers

BACKGROUND

Weight bias is a pervasive problem for adolescents in school contexts. Despite evidence of negative attitudes towards students who are overweight, comparatively little research has examined whether teachers provide biased assessments of student work.

AIMS

The purpose of this study was to experimentally test whether middle and high school teachers unfairly assess students who are overweight and perceive them to be less competent.

SAMPLE

Participants included 133 teachers from first-ring suburban middle and high schools (M_{teaching experience}  = 16 years; 38% male).

METHODS

Teachers evaluated the quality of a bogus student essay assignment accompanied by photographs that portrayed the student as either not overweight or overweight. Weight bias was assessed by having teachers grade the essay and provide perceptions of student sufficiency (perceived effort, need for tutoring, and overall success in school). Opinions about bias in grading for other teachers and self were also assessed.

RESULTS

Essays for students who were overweight were judged to be similar in structural quality, but were assigned lower grades compared to their healthy weight counterparts. Further, teachers estimated that students who were overweight put forth more effort, needed more remedial assistance, and had lower overall grades in school. Teachers' beliefs about grading bias showed low levels of supposed bias among other teachers and a significantly lesser degree for themselves.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms prior research on anti-fat attitudes and provides new evidence of biased attitudes in school settings.