title: Fast Food Consumption and Academic Growth in Late Childhood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study is to examine the associations between fast food consumption and the academic growth of 8544 fifth-grade children in reading, math, and science.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study uses direct assessments of academic achievement and child-reported fast food consumption from a nationally representative sample of kindergartners followed through eighth grade.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than two thirds of the sample reported some fast food consumption; 20% reported consuming at least 4 fast food meals in the prior week. Fast food consumption during fifth grade predicted lower levels of academic achievement in all 3 subjects in eighth grade, even when fifth grade academic scores and numerous potential confounding variables, including socioeconomic indicators, physical activity, and TV watching, were controlled for in the models.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results provide initial evidence that high levels of fast food consumption are predictive of slower growth in academic skills in a nationally representative sample of children.
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA purtell.15@osu.edu.
authors.forename: Kelly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Purtell
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Gershoff
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057140:Fast Foods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011932:Reading; D012586:Science / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States
keywords: academic achievement; child development; cognitive development; fast food