Abstract
BackgroundLittle is known about the contribution of school contextual factors to individual student body mass index (BMI). We set out to determine if school characteristics/resources: (1) are associated with student BMI; (2) explain racial/ethnic disparities in student BMI; and (3) explain school-level differences in student BMI.MethodsUsing gender-stratified multi-level modeling strategies we examined the association of school characteristics/resources and individual BMI in 4,387 5th graders in the Healthy Passages Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Additionally, we examined the association of race/ethnicity and individual BMI as well as the between-school variance in BMI before and after adding individual and school characteristics to test for attenuation.ResultsThe school-level median household income, but not physical activity or nutrition resources, was inversely associated with female BMI (β = −0.12, CI: −0.21,−0.02). Neither school demographics nor physical activity/nutrition resources were predictive of individual BMI in males. In Black females, school characteristics attenuated the association of race/ethnicity and BMI. Individual student characteristics—not school characteristics/resources-reduced the between-school variation in BMI in males by nearly one-third and eliminated it in females.ConclusionsIn this cohort of 5th graders, school SES was inversely associated with female BMI while school characteristics and resources largely explained Black/White disparities in female weight status. Between-school differences in average student weight status were largely explained by the composition of the student body not by school characteristics or programming.
Highlights
Little is known about the contribution of school contextual factors to individual student body mass index (BMI)
Schools attended by Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics differed on numerous school characteristics, including demographics and nutritional and physical activity programs
This study found no associations between school physical activity or nutrition resources/programs and individual BMI in this racially diverse cohort of 5th graders
Summary
Little is known about the contribution of school contextual factors to individual student body mass index (BMI). Schools have rapidly resegregated since mandatory racial/ethnic desegregation laws were repealed in the early 1990s [4,5] This re-segregation likely has health implications as studies have demonstrated poorer nutritional and physical activity offerings in schools with high concentrations of racial/ethnic minority and low-income students [1,3]. Whether school-level differences in weight status exist in elementary schools and if physical activity and nutrition programming or demographics can explain these differences in weight status. It is unclear whether school characteristics can partially explain racial/ethnic differences in weight status
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