School Sociodemographic Characteristics Research Articles

Sociodemographic and Built Environment Associates of Travel to School by Car among New Zealand Adolescents: Meta-Analysis

Travelling to school by car diminishes opportunities for physical activity and contributes to traffic congestion and associated noise and air pollution. This meta-analysis examined sociodemographic characteristics and built environment associates of travelling to school by car compared to using active transport among New Zealand (NZ) adolescents. Four NZ studies (2163 adolescents) provided data on participants’ mode of travel to school, individual and school sociodemographic characteristics, distance to school and home-neighbourhood built-environment features. A one-step meta-analysis using individual participant data was performed in SAS. A final multivariable model was developed using stepwise logistic regression. Overall, 60.6% of participants travelled to school by car. When compared with active transport, travelling to school by car was positively associated with distance to school. Participants residing in neighbourhoods with high intersection density and attending medium deprivation schools were less likely to travel to school by car compared with their counterparts. Distance to school, school level deprivation and low home neighbourhood intersection density are associated with higher likelihood of car travel to school compared with active transport among NZ adolescents. Comprehensive interventions focusing on both social and built environment factors are needed to reduce car travel to school.

Examining Curriculum Differentiation of Education Management Organizations (EMOs) in 41 States

ABSTRACT This study seeks to understand the relationship between observable characteristics of schools operated by education management organizations (EMOs) and their organizational attributes. Most of the prior research on the relationship between EMO-operated schools and neighborhood and school sociodemographic characteristics considers the effect of organizational type in isolation without regard to scale or size. We contribute to the literature by using organizational behavior theory on nonprofit and for-profit sectors to explore how EMOs by sector and size might differentiate themselves from their competitors through instructional or curricular themes. Combining the effect of profit status, large EMOs are more oriented toward traditional curricula, while medium-small EMOs tend to focus on vocational curricula. After accounting for organizational size, the presence of medium-small EMOs contributes to higher odds of nonprofit EMOs and for-profit EMOs embracing progressive curriculum. Controlling for profit status, the presence of for-profit EMOs is more likely to increase the probability of both large EMOs and medium-small EMOs adopting alternative curriculum. To our knowledge, this is the first multistate study of EMO-operated schools that involves a comprehensive examination of differentiated curricula along the dimensions of organizational sector and size.

Disparities in baseline neurocognitive testing for student concussion management in Massachusetts high schools

PurposeThere is evidence of socioeconomic disparities with respect to the implementation of student-sports concussion laws nationally. The purpose of this study was to examine school sociodemographic characteristics associated with the...

School-Level Body Mass Index Shapes Children's Weight Trajectories.

Embedded within children's weight trajectories are complex environmental contexts that influence obesity risk. As such, the normative environment of body mass index (BMI) within schools may influence children's weight trajectories as they age from kindergarten to fifth grade. I use 5 waves of the ECLS-K-Kindergarten Class 1998-1999 data and a series of multilevel growth models to examine whether attending schools with higher overall BMI influences children's weight status over time. Results show that, net of child, family, and school sociodemographic characteristics, children who attend schools with higher rates of obesity have increased weight compared to children who attend schools with lower rates of obesity, and this effect increases annually. Findings indicate that the overall weight status of schools influence child obesity, and further speak to the importance of school-based intervention programs.

School sociodemographic characteristics and obesity in schoolchildren: does the obesity definition matter?

BackgroundExisting evidence on the role of sociodemographic variables as risk factors for overweight and obesity in school-aged children is inconsistent. Furthermore, findings seem to be influenced by the obesity definition applied. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate if school sociodemographic indicators were associated with weight status in Irish primary schoolchildren and whether this association was sensitive to different obesity classification systems.MethodsA nationally representative cross-sectional sample of 7542 Irish children (53.9% girls), mean age 10.4 (±1.2SD) years, participating in the Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative in the 2010, 2012/2013 or 2015/2016 waves were included. Height, weight and waist circumference were objectively measured. Five definitions of obesity were employed using different approaches for either body mass index (BMI) or abdominal obesity. Associations between overweight and obesity and sociodemographic variables were investigated using adjusted multilevel logistic regression analyses.ResultsChildren attending disadvantaged schools were more likely to be overweight and obese than their peers attending non-disadvantaged schools, regardless of the obesity classification system used. Associations remained significant for the BMI-based obesity definitions when the sample was stratified by sex and age group, except for boys aged 8–10.5 years. Only boys aged ≥10.5 years in disadvantaged schools had higher odds of abdominal obesity (UK 1990 waist circumference growth charts: OR = 1.56, 95%CI = 1.09–2.24; waist-to-height ratio: OR = 1.78, 95%CI = 1.14–2.79) than those in non-disadvantaged schools. No associations were observed for school urbanisation level.ConclusionsSchool socioeconomic status was a strong determinant of overweight and obesity in Irish schoolchildren, and these associations were age- and sex-dependent. School location was not associated with overweight or obesity. There remains a need to intervene with school-aged children in disadvantaged schools, specifically among those approaching adolescence, to prevent a trajectory of obesity into adult life.

Sociodemographic Disparities in Proximity of Schools to Tobacco Outlets and Fast-Food Restaurants.

To examine the association of school sociodemographic characteristics with tobacco outlet and fast-food restaurant availability near schools in a national study. Business lists and data from the National Center for Education Statistics were used to calculate the numbers of tobacco outlets and fast-food restaurants within 800 meters of public schools in 97 US counties. More than 50% of schools with a majority of Hispanic students had both a fast-food restaurant and tobacco outlet nearby, compared with 21% of schools with a majority of White students. In adjusted models, each 10% increase in the number of low-income and Hispanic students enrolled in a school led to a 3% to 5% increase in the odds of the school having both a fast-food restaurant and a tobacco outlet nearby. Low-income and Hispanic students are disproportionately exposed to both tobacco outlets and fast-food restaurants near their schools. Easy access to tobacco products and fast food may influence youth smoking initiation and contribute to poor dietary intake.

Abstract A70: Is the availability of fast food restaurants and tobacco outlets near schools in 97 U.S. counties associated with school sociodemographic characteristics?

Abstract Background: Fast food and tobacco product availability near schools might influence youth diet and tobacco use, and greater availability near racially diverse or lower income schools may contribute to racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in cancer risk. However, no national studies have examined the availability of both fast food restaurants and retail tobacco outlets near schools in the United States (US) in association with school sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: Fast food restaurants and tobacco outlets were counted within 800 m Euclidean buffers around public primary, middle and high schools in 97 US counties. Counties were randomly selected proportionate to county population size in 2011. Generalized linear mixed models were used to examine the association of school racial/ethnic composition and participation in free/reduced price lunch programs with fast food restaurant and tobacco outlet availability near schools. Results: Nearly 40% of schools had both a fast food restaurant and a tobacco outlet within 800 m (approximately a 10 minute walk). The odds of having both a fast food restaurant and tobacco outlet within 800 m increased by 5% for every 10% increase in the percentage of Hispanic students (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03, 1.07). Odds increased by 3% for every 10% increase in the percentage of students receiving free/reduced price lunch (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01, 1.05). High schools had nearly 1.5 times the odds of having both a fast food restaurant and a tobacco outlet within 800 m compared with primary schools. Conclusion: Low income and Hispanic students, and high school students are disproportionately exposed to both fast food restaurants and tobacco outlets near schools in this sample of 97 US counties. Restricting the location of fast food and tobacco retail outlets in school neighborhoods may help reduce access to harmful products, particularly among some vulnerable populations. Citation Format: Heather D'Angelo, Alice Ammerman, Penny Gordon-Larsen, Laura Linnan, Leslie Lytle, Kurt M. Ribisl. Is the availability of fast food restaurants and tobacco outlets near schools in 97 U.S. counties associated with school sociodemographic characteristics? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eighth AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 13-16, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016;25(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A70.

Availability of Automated External Defibrillators in Public High Schools

To assess automated external defibrillator (AED) distribution and cardiac emergency preparedness in Michigan secondary schools and investigate for association with school sociodemographic characteristics. Surveys were sent via electronic mail to representatives from all public high schools in 30 randomly selected Michigan counties, stratified by population. Association of AED-related factors with school sociodemographic characteristics were evaluated using Wilcoxon rank sum test and χ(2) test, as appropriate. Of 188 schools, 133 (71%) responded to the survey and all had AEDs. Larger student population was associated with fewer AEDs per 100 students (P<.0001) and fewer staff with AED training per AED (P=.02), compared with smaller schools. Schools with >20% students from racial minority groups had significantly fewer AEDs available per 100 students than schools with less racial diversity (P=.03). Schools with more students eligible for free and reduced lunch were less likely to have a cardiac emergency response plan (P=.02) and demonstrated less frequent AED maintenance (P=.03). Although AEDs are available at public high schools across Michigan, the number of AEDs per student varies inversely with minority student population and school size. Unequal distribution of AEDs and lack of cardiac emergency preparedness may contribute to outcomes of sudden cardiac arrest among youth.

Middle School Student Attitudes About School Drinking Fountains and Water Intake

ObjectiveTo describe middle school student attitudes about school drinking fountains, investigate whether such attitudes are associated with intentions to drink water at school, and determine how intentions relate to overall water intake. MethodsStudents (n = 3211) in 9 California middle schools completed surveys between 2009 and 2011. We used multivariate linear regression, adjusting for school sociodemographic characteristics, to examine how attitudes about fountains (5-point scale; higher scores indicating more positive attitudes) were associated with intentions to drink water at school and how intentions to drink water at school were related to overall water intake. ResultsMean age of students was 12.3 (SD = 0.7) years; 75% were Latino, 89% low income, and 39% foreign born. Fifty-two percent reported lower than recommended overall water intake (<3 glasses/day), and 30% reported that they were unlikely or extremely unlikely to drink water at school. Fifty-nine percent reported that school fountains were unclean, 48% that fountain water does not taste good, 33% that fountains could make them sick, 31% that it was not okay to drink from fountains, and 24% that fountain water is contaminated. In adjusted analyses, attitudes about school drinking fountains were related to intentions to drink water at school (β = 0.41; P < .001); intentions to drink water at school were also associated with overall water intake (β = 0.20; P < .001). ConclusionsStudents have negative attitudes about school fountains. To increase overall water intake, it may be important to promote and improve drinking water sources not only at school but also at home and in other community environments.