Lu Ma1, Liwang Gao1, Dorothy T Chiu2, Yixin Ding1, Youfa Wang1,3, Weidong Wang4. 1. Global Health Institute, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, China. 2. Community Health Sciences Division, School of Public Health, University of Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA. 3. Department of Nutrition and Health Science, Fisher Institute of Health and Well-Being, College of Health, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, USA. 4. Department of Sociology, School of Sociology and Population Studies, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the associations of overweight and obesity (ov/ob) and changes in weight status with academic performance among Chinese adolescents. METHODS: Self-reported weight and height were collected from adolescents (n = 10,279) each year from seventh grade (baseline, 2013-2014) to ninth grade (2015-2016). Academic performance included standardized scores on math, Chinese, and English examinations and responses to a school-life experience scale. RESULTS: All adolescents with ov/ob had lower academic performance than their counterparts without overweight (β = -0.46 to -0.08; P < 0.05), except for school-life experience for boys. All adolescents with obesity had lower academic performance than their counterparts without obesity (β = -0.46 to -0.17; P < 0.01), except for English test scores for boys. Changes in weight status between grades 7 and 9 impacted academic performance at grade 9. Adolescents with ov/ob throughout grades 7 to 9 and those who developed ov/ob from normal weight had lower test scores (β = -0.80 to -0.25; P < 0.05) than those who maintained normal weight. Those who developed ov/ob after having normal weight had poorer school-life experiences (β = -0.55 to -0.25; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ov/ob and maintaining and developing ov/ob had adverse academic impacts on adolescents. Relevant stakeholders should consider detrimental impacts of obesity on academic outcomes.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the associations of overweight and obesity (ov/ob) and changes in weight status with academic performance among Chinese adolescents. METHODS: Self-reported weight and height were collected from adolescents (n = 10,279) each year from seventh grade (baseline, 2013-2014) to ninth grade (2015-2016). Academic performance included standardized scores on math, Chinese, and English examinations and responses to a school-life experience scale. RESULTS: All adolescents with ov/ob had lower academic performance than their counterparts without overweight (β = -0.46 to -0.08; P < 0.05), except for school-life experience for boys. All adolescents with obesity had lower academic performance than their counterparts without obesity (β = -0.46 to -0.17; P < 0.01), except for English test scores for boys. Changes in weight status between grades 7 and 9 impacted academic performance at grade 9. Adolescents with ov/ob throughout grades 7 to 9 and those who developed ov/ob from normal weight had lower test scores (β = -0.80 to -0.25; P < 0.05) than those who maintained normal weight. Those who developed ov/ob after having normal weight had poorer school-life experiences (β = -0.55 to -0.25; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ov/ob and maintaining and developing ov/ob had adverse academic impacts on adolescents. Relevant stakeholders should consider detrimental impacts of obesity on academic outcomes.