Higher weight, lower education: a longitudinal association between adolescents' body mass index and their subsequent educational achievement level?
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to examine the association between adolescents' body mass index (BMI) z-scores and their subsequent level of schooling, extending previous longitudinal research by using objectively measured weight and height data.


METHODS
A longitudinal study with 3 study waves (1-year intervals) involving 1248 Dutch adolescents (49% girls; mean age = 13.7 years) at schools providing different educational levels was used to determine adolescents who moved and did not move to a lower educational level in the first year, or in the second year, and to examine whether this movement could be predicted by BMI z-scores (zBMI), after controlling for a large range of potential confounding factors.


RESULTS
A total of 1164 Dutch adolescents continued in the same level of education, whereas 84 adolescents moved to a lower educational level (43 moved in the first and 41 in the second year). A higher zBMI significantly increased the risk of a general transition to a lower educational level, and of a transition in the first year, but not in the second year, after controlling for potential demographic, behavioral, and psychological confounds.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings suggest that a higher zBMI during adolescence immediately lowers educational achievement level during general secondary education.
Radboud University, Behavioural Science Institute, PO Box 9140, 6500 HE, Montessorilaan 3, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. j.larsen@pwo.ru.nl.
Junilla K
JK
Larsen
Marloes
M
Kleinjan
Rutger C M E
RC
Engels
Jennifer O
JO
Fisher
Roel C J
RC
Hermans
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D062408:Breakfast; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009426:Netherlands; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology
BMI; academic performance; overweight; schooling