The Effect of School on Overweight in Childhood: Gain in Body Mass Index During the School Year and During Summer Vacation

Overview

Journal Am J Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2007 Mar 3

PMID 17329660

Citations 125

Authors

Paul T von Hippel

Brian Powell

Douglas B Downey

Nicholas J Rowland

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: To determine whether school or nonschool environments contribute more to childhood overweight, we compared children's gains in body mass index (BMI) when school is in session (during the kindergarten and first-grade school years) with their gains in BMI when school is out (during summer vacation).

Methods: The BMIs of 5380 children in 310 schools were measured as part of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Cohort. We used these measurements to estimate BMI gain rates during kindergarten, summer, and first grade.

Results: Growth in BMI was typically faster and more variable during summer vacation than during the kindergarten and first-grade school years. The difference between school and summer gain rates was especially large for 3 at-risk subgroups: Black children, Hispanic children, and children who were already overweight at the beginning of kindergarten.

Conclusions: Although a school's diet and exercise policies may be less than ideal, it appears that early school environments contribute less to overweight than do nonschool environments.

Citing Articles

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PMID: 39449089 PMC: 11515637. DOI: 10.1186/s13063-024-08555-2.

Health effects of children's summer holiday programs: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Eglitis E, Singh B, Olds T, Virgara R, Machell A, Richardson M Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2024; 21(1):119.

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Preliminary Effectiveness of a One-Week Summer Day Camp for Improving Children's Health Behaviors and Psychosocial Well-Being Outcomes.

Tan Q, Nie Y, Son P, Underwood R, Murray P, Hebert C Children (Basel). 2024; 11(9).

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Differences in elementary-age children's accelerometer - measured physical activity between school and summer: three-year findings from the What's UP (Undermining Prevention) with summer observational cohort study.

Beets M, Burkart S, Pfledderer C, Adams E, Weaver R, Armstrong B Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2024; 21(1):86.

PMID: 39107808 PMC: 11304806. DOI: 10.1186/s12966-024-01637-z.

A Novel Summer Camp Integrating Physical, Psychological, and Educational Health in Youth: The THINK Program.

Bonner J, Xiong W, Velasquez C, Nienhuis N, Wallace B, Friedman A Nutrients. 2024; 16(12).

PMID: 38931193 PMC: 11206397. DOI: 10.3390/nu16121838.

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