Childhood Obesity Rates in Schools with Socioeconomic Differences

-

A study performed by Piontak & Schulman (2016) looked at the importance of schools as a site for interventions to prevent childhood obesity. The purpose of this study was to examine how variables measuring the socioeconomic and racial composition of schools and counties affect the rate of obesity in children from third to fifth grade. 

 There was found to be a statistically significant different between schools and counties. There also was a statistical difference between poverty and racial segregation in the same direction. Schools with a high poverty level had an increased rate on the likelihood of obesity. This showed that the students in these schools had a 1.15 times higher change of being obese than the children in the economically integrated schools. Schools that were isolated socioeconomically from the lower income schools were shown to have a lower rate of obesity. It was seen that children in minority segregated schools had higher rates of obesity than the racially diverse schools. This was not as significant when the school level poverty was accounted for. 
This study shows how much of a role school socioeconomic status plays in understanding childhood obesity. Neighborhooding and zoning poverty stricken areas into certain schools can affect the implications of these children’s health. They have less resources in terms of district money and as well as resources to proper education and food access. The results showed the need for these resources in high and medium levels of poverty in order to decrease the amount of childhood obesity and to decrease the differences of health status between these children of different socioeconomic backgrounds. The inequalities of children in schools need to be addressed, and the resources should go to the schools that need it to the most. It shows the need for interventions such as nutrition programs such as breakfast and lunch school programs, farm to school programs and PE interventions that increase physical activity. It also would be important to focus the attention on policy of why these schools are so segregated and working on changing the zones so that it is more equal and provides better opportunities for the students that are in rural/low income communities.

Piontak, J. R., & Schulman, M. D. (2016). School context matters: The impacts of concentrated poverty and racial segregation on childhood obesity. Journal of School Health, 86(12), 864-872. doi:10.1111/josh.12458

LG

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are All Sugars Created Equal?

-
Image
Are All Sugars Created Equal?  I think one of the most confusing nutrition topics for people is sugar. With so many conflicting stories out there, it’s difficult to separate the facts from the fiction. Not to mention, the types of sugars are endless. How do we know what’s best for our bodies? White or brown sugar? Cane or raw? Should we just go with Stevia instead? Is it even okay to consume artificial sweeteners? Should we avoid foods with high amounts of natural sugar in them? Each answer only seems to lead to another question!  Let’s start off with distinguishing the purpose of sugar in the first place. Do our bodies even need it? The short answer is yes! Sugars are carbohydrates (what we commonly call “carbs”), one of the three main macronutrients that our bodies need for fuel to function and survive. One of the major ways to categorize sugar is by separating the “natural” sugars from the “added” sugars. Natural sugars are, well, naturally found in foods. They give us the energy th
Read more

Milk Mythbusters

-
Image
Just like with any nutrition topic, the facts about milk can become convoluted pretty quickly. Whether you drink milk for the protein, the nutrients, the flavor, or just like to switch it up, there are pros and cons to every kind. Here are some quick nutritional facts about each type to help you decide which is best for you. Animal-Based Milks  Whole Milk: The original diary drink. It gets a bad rap, but what whole milk has going for it, is that it’s in its proper nutritional form. Whole milk contains all of its original fat-soluble vitamins, A, E, D, & K, along with the fat to help you absorb them all. It also has the proper concentrations and ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids, or your omega-3s and omega-6s, so that they are metabolized as they should be. The downside is that whole milk is calorically dense, meaning that a little goes a long way. You don’t need much to get what you need, so just don’t overdo it!  2% Milk: The fat content of 2% milk is about half of that in who
Read more