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The association between higher body mass index and poor school performance in high school students
Author(s) -
Tonetti L.,
Fabbri M.,
Filardi M.,
Martoni M.,
Natale V.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
pediatric obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.226
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 2047-6310
pISSN - 2047-6302
DOI - 10.1111/ijpo.12075
Subject(s) - medicine , body mass index , socioeconomic status , demography , gerontology , pittsburgh sleep quality index , sleep (system call) , academic achievement , physical therapy , sleep quality , developmental psychology , psychology , environmental health , population , insomnia , psychiatry , sociology , computer science , operating system
Summary Background/objective This study aimed to examine the association between body mass index ( BMI ) and school performance in high school students by controlling for relevant mediators such as sleep quality, sleep duration and socioeconomic status. Methods Thirty‐seven high school students (mean age: 18.16 ± 0.44 years) attending the same school type, i.e. ‘liceo scientifico’ (science‐based high school), were enrolled. Students' self‐reported weight and height were used to calculate BMI . Participants wore an actigraph to objectively assess the quality and duration of sleep. School performance was assessed through the actual grade obtained at the final school‐leaving exam, in which higher grades indicate higher performance. Results BMI , get‐up time, mean motor activity, wake after sleep onset and number of awakenings were negatively correlated with the grade, while sleep efficiency was positively correlated. When performing a multiple regression analysis, BMI proved the only significant (negative) predictor of grade. Conclusions When controlling for sleep quality, sleep duration and socioeconomic status, a higher BMI is associated with a poorer school performance in high school students.