scholarly journals Childhood Obesity and Academic Outcomes in Young Adulthood

Children ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Ryabov

The present study used nationally representative data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (a.k.a., Add Health) to examine the impact of childhood obesity on young adult educational attainment. In addition to weight status, independent variables included race–ethnicity, immigrant generational status, family socio-economic status (SES), preference for overweight and obese friends in school, school socio-economic and race–ethnic composition, and other important predictors. Educational attainment was measured as a categorical variable with the categories reflecting key educational benchmarks: (1) being a high school graduate; (2) having some college education; and (3) having completed a bachelor’s or higher degree. The results indicate that in general, individuals who were obese as children are less likely to transition from high school to college, and even less likely to obtain a baccalaureate or more advanced degree. In line with the social network hypothesis of the obesity epidemic, we also found that having overweight and obese friends drives down the odds of educational success. Attendance at a higher SES school or a school with a lower percentage of minority students was positively associated with the odds of college attendance and obtaining a baccalaureate. Other important effects included race–ethnicity and immigrant generational status.

2020 ◽  
Vol 122 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-44
Author(s):  
Liang Zhang

Background/Context The Post-9/11 GI Bill has provided educational benefits to millions of military service members and veterans since its adoption in August 2009. Recent studies indicate that the bill has significantly improved college enrollment and educational attainment among post-9/11 veterans. A significant proportion of veterans suffer from service-connected disabilities. While provisions of the Post-9/11 GI Bill may render education benefits that are appealing to veterans with service-connected disabilities, little is known with regard to how the bill has affected college participation among this venerable subpopulation of veterans. Purpose/Objective This study examines the effect of the Post-9/11 GI Bill on college enrollment rates among veterans with service-connected disabilities and unpacks potentially heterogeneous impacts across groups with different demographic characteristics (i.e., sex, age, race/ ethnicity, educational attainment, and disability ratings). Population Post-9/11 veterans. Research Design Triple differences. Data Collection and Analysis Secondary data analysis based on American Community Survey 2005–2016. Findings/Results While the Post-9/11 GI Bill has increased college enrollment for veterans without service-connected disabilities by less than 1 percentage point, the increase is much larger—about 5 percentage points—for veterans with service-connected disabilities. Enrollment effects for veterans with service-connected disabilities are consistent and positive across sex, age, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, and disability ratings. Conclusions/Recommendations The results of this study provide strong evidence for the significant enrollment growth among veterans with service-connected disabilities after the adoption of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. While this result is reassuring, it is not clear whether this large effect for veterans with service-connected disabilities is due to favorable provisions in the Post-9/11 GI Bill or due to lower opportunity costs. In the future, researchers may want to identify appropriate sources for data on detailed educational benefits to examine the mechanisms behind the effect.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 1426-1426
Author(s):  
Kijoon Kim ◽  
Kyungho Ha ◽  
Junichi Sakaki ◽  
Hwayoung Noh ◽  
Ock Chun

Abstract Objectives Diets rich in flavonoids can reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases through their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. While differences in flavonoid intake by race/ethnicity have been previously described, differences between race/ethnicity within categories sociodemographic characteristics have not been fully assessed. Therefore, the objective of this study was to estimate flavonoid intake and evaluate the disparities by race/ethnicity within categories of sociodemographic characteristics in US adults. Methods A total of 15,775 US adults aged 20 years and older in NHANES 2007–2014 were included in this cross-sectional study. Flavonoid intake was calculated by linking food consumption data from a 24-hour diet recall to a flavonoid database which has been expanded on by our research group using the USDA Databases for the Flavonoid (Release 3.3), and Isoflavone (Release 2.1) in addition to the USDA's Expanded Flavonoid Database for the Assessment of Dietary Intakes (Release 1.1). Mean (SE) flavonoid intakes by sociodemographic categories were compared with one-way ANOVA. Results Among US adults, mean (SE) total flavonoid intake was 227.6 (8.0) mg/day, and total flavonoid intake was highest in 40–59 year olds, non-Hispanic whites, those with a poverty-income ratio (PIR) ≥1.85, those with a college education or above, and those married or living with a partner. In most sociodemographic categories, Hispanics consistently had the lowest total flavonoid intakes compared to other races/ethnicities. Among Hispanic subgroups, total flavonoid intake was lowest in men, 20–39 years olds, PIR < 1.3, less than high school education, and single marital status (men only). Ethnic disparities in flavonoid intake were more pronounced between certain sociodemographic subcategories including men, 40–59 year olds, PIR < 1.3, less than high school education, and married marital status (men only). Conclusions These findings indicate that there are significant racial differences in flavonoid intake. Notably, Hispanics tended to have the lowest intake. Certain sociodemographic populations such as males, low income or low educated may be at an increased risk of flavonoid under-consumption. Funding Sources This research received no external funding.


Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Patton-Lopez ◽  
Melinda Manore ◽  
Adam Branscum ◽  
Yu Meng ◽  
Siew Wong

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a sport nutrition education and life-skills intervention on sport nutrition knowledge (SNK), attitudes/beliefs and dietary behaviors relevant to sport nutrition among high school (HS) soccer players. Three assessments were done over the 2-year intervention (baseline = time 1, end year 1 = time 2, end year 2 = time 3). Participants (n = 217; females = 64%; Latino = 47.5%; 14.9 ± 0.9-year; 46.5% National School Breakfast/Lunch Program) were assigned to an intervention group (IG, n = 153; 9 schools) or comparison group (CG, n = 64; 4 schools) based on geographical location. Differences over time were examined based on group, sex, socioeconomic status (SES) and race/ethnicity. The IG increased SNK scores by ~10% (time 1 = 51.6%; time 3 = 60.9%; p ≤ 0.001), with the greatest change in the female IG vs. CG and no differences in male IG vs. CG. Daily breakfast consumption was 53.7% in both groups. IG players were 3 times more likely (95%CI = 2.59, 7.77) to report trying to eat for performance (IG = 48.7% vs. CG = 30.2%). By time 3, IG players were less likely to report that ‘diet met nutritional requirements’ (31.6%) compared to CG (47.6%). For IG, the consumption of lunch (≥5-days/week) did not change (92.2–93.4%), but declined in the CG (90.6%) (p = 0.04). No other differences by sub-population (race/ethnicity, SES) were observed. Our findings indicate that HS athletes are motivated to learn and improve diet behaviors, and benefit from team-based nutrition interventions. Future interventions should consider delivery of curriculum/experiential learning during a defined training period, with messages reinforced with supports at home, school and athletic settings.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
B Z Ghazzal ◽  
H M Kelli ◽  
A Mehta ◽  
A S Tahhan ◽  
J H Kim ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Educational attainment is an indicator of socioeconomic status and is inversely associated with cardiovascular risk factors and risk for incident coronary artery disease (CAD). Whether the level of educational attainment (EL) in patients with CAD influences outcomes remains understudied. Purpose To ascertain the relationship between EL and adverse outcomes in patients with CAD. We hypothesize that EL will be inversely associated with adverse outcomes in this high-risk patient population. Methods Subjects undergoing cardiac catheterization for known or suspected CAD were recruited in a cardiovascular biobank and had their highest level of educational attainment assessed using predefined options of elementary/middle school, high school, college, or graduate education. The primary outcome of interest was all-cause mortality and secondary outcomes included a composite of cardiovascular deaths and nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) events, and nonfatal MI events during follow-up. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to analyze the association between EL and adverse outcomes after adjustment for demographic characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular medication use, and estimated zip code-based annual family income. Results Among the 6,318 subjects (mean age 64 years, 63% male, 23% black) enrolled, 998 (16%) had received graduate or a higher qualification, 2,689 (43%) had received a college education, 2,403 (38%) had received a high school education, and 228 (3%) had received elementary/middle school education. During a median follow-up of 3 years,there were 1,110 deaths from all causes, 851 cardiovascular deaths/nonfatal MI, and 286 nonfatal MI events. After adjusting for covariates and compared to patients with graduate education or higher, those with lower EL (elementary/middle school, high school, or college education) had a higher risk of all-cause mortality [hazard ratio 1.66, (95% CI 1.08, 2.54), 1.58 (95% CI 1.22, 2.04), and 1.45 (95% CI 1.13, 1.57), respectively]. Similar findings were observed for secondary outcomes. EL dichotomized at graduate education was associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.48, 95% CI 1.16, 1.88), but this relationship was significantly modified by sex (p-interaction 0.023) and the association was attenuated among male patients (hazard ratio 1.23, 95% CI 0.94, 1.61) but not female patients (hazard ratio 2.70, 95% CI 1.53, 4.77). Conclusions Lower educational attainment is an independent predictor of adverse outcomes in patients with CAD. The causal link between low education level and increased CV risk needs further investigation. Acknowledgement/Funding Dr. Quyyumi is supported by NIH grants 5P01HL101398-02, 1P20HL113451-01, 1R56HL126558-01, 1RF1AG051633-01, R01 NS064162-01, R01 HL89650-01, HL095479-0


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 2052 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing Wu ◽  
Yingke Xu ◽  
Ge Lin

(1) Background: Studies examining osteoporosis trends among US adults by different socioeconomic status (SES) are limited. The prevalence of self-reported osteoporosis in the US is rarely reported. (2) Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2007–2008 and 2013–2014 cycles were analyzed. Age-adjusted prevalence of self-reported and that of measured osteoporosis were calculated overall and by sex, race/ethnicity, education attainment, and SES. (3) Results: The prevalence of self-reported osteoporosis was higher than that of measured osteoporosis in all three survey cycles for women, and in 2007–2008 and 2009–2010 for men. Participants with high school/GED or higher educational attainment had an increased prevalence of measured osteoporosis during the study period. Among all SES groups, participants with low family income (PIR < 1.3) had the highest prevalence of measured osteoporosis, and the prevalence increased from 49.3 per 1000 population to 71.8 per 1000 population during the study period. (4) Conclusions: The prevalence of self-reported osteoporosis was higher than that of measured osteoporosis in US adults between 2007 and 2014. The age-adjusted prevalence of measured osteoporosis increased in participants with the educational attainment of high school/GED or above, and individuals with low family income.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Bittner Fagan ◽  
Ronald E. Myers ◽  
Constantine Daskalakis ◽  
Randa Sifri ◽  
Arch G. Mainous ◽  
...  

Background. The literature on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is contradictory regarding the impact of weight status on CRC screening. This study was intended to determine if CRC screening rates among 2005 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) respondent racial/ethnic and gender subgroups were influenced by weight status.Methods. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine if CRC screening use differed significantly among obese, overweight, and normal-weight individuals in race/ethnic and gender subgroups.Results. Multivariable analyses showed that CRC screening rates did not differ significantly for individuals within these subgroups who were obese or overweight as compared to their normal-weight peers.Conclusion. Weight status does not contribute to disparities in CRC screening in race/ethnicity and gender subgroups.


Circulation ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 133 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chukwuemeka U Osondu ◽  
Ehimen C Aneni ◽  
Adnan Younus ◽  
Maribeth Rouseff ◽  
Sankalp Das ◽  
...  

Background: Ethnic differences in obesity are well documented; however, the epidemiological evidence of the impact of socioeconomic and educational status on its relationship is sparse. We sought to assess the impact of educational attainment, as a proxy of socioeconomic status, on the association between ethnicity and morbid obesity (MO) among employees of Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF), a large nonprofit healthcare organization. Methods: Data was collected from employees participating in an annual Health Risk Assessment in 2014. Educational attainment was self-reported while weight, height and other biometric measures were measured in person. MO was categorized using eligibility criteria for bariatric surgery as outlined by the 1991 NIH consensus guidelines for surgery for the obese. Results: Data was collected for 9361 participants (mean age 42.8 ± 12.1 years, 74% females, 63% Hispanic). Overall, 7% meet criteria for MO (Non-Hispanic White [NHW]: 5%; Hispanics: 6%; Non-Hispanic Black [NHB]: 12%). A lower education was associated with a greater prevalence of morbid obesity (Post graduate/ professional: 4.2%; completed college: 5.2%; some college or lower: 9.8%) The highest (18%) and lowest (4%) prevalence of MO were observed in NHB with some college education or lower (SCL), and in Hispanics with post-graduate or professional educational (PG) attainment respectively. Among PG, compared to NHW, the odd ratios (95% CI) for presence of MO among NHB was 1.3 (0.6 - 2.5). Conversely, the respective MO risk for NHB vs. NHW was 4 fold higher (2.5 - 6.4) among those with SCL. Interaction of ethnicity and educational attainment for predicting MO was significant (p <0.05) adjusting for age and sex. Conclusion: Underlying differences in educational status significantly impact ethnic disparities in morbid obesity. The co-existing influence of education and racial disparities should be jointly addressed to maximize yield of future wellness efforts aimed at optimizing CV health.


2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene A. Paoline ◽  
William Terrill

Police researchers have devoted a considerable amount of empirical attention to testing the impact college education has on police performance. The counterargument to the education debate is that experience, in learning the police craft, is what contributes to differences in performance. The current study adds to both lines of research by examining the impact of education and experience on one of the core features of the police role: the use of coercion. The findings indicate that varying levels of education and experience are related to differences in the use of coercion in encounters with citizens. Encounters involving officers with any college education result in significantly less verbal force compared to those with a high school education. However, only those encounters involving officers with a 4-year degree result in significantly less physical force. Finally, encounters involving officers with greater experience result in less verbal and physical force.


2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 779-788 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Victoria Burrell ◽  
Lars Mehlum ◽  
Ping Qin

Abstract Purpose Previous research has linked loss of a parent during childhood to reduced educational aspirations, school performance, and educational attainment later in life. The potential effect of maternal and paternal bereavement on attainment at all educational levels is, however, unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the potential influence of parental death by external causes on completion of compulsory education, high school, vocational education, and University or College education. Methods The study was based on data from three national longitudinal registers in Norway. The study population comprised 373,104 individuals born between January 1st 1970 and December 31st 1994. Information concerning deceased parents’ cause and date of death and offspring’s education and sociodemographic data were retrieved. Data were analysed with Cox regression. Results Children who had experienced parental death by external causes had a significantly reduced hazard ratio (HR) of completing all educational levels compared to children who did not have such experiences. The largest effects were evident for completion of high school (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.65–0.71) and University or College education (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.70–0.80). No differences were evident for different causes of death, genders of deceased or ages at bereavement, and generally no significant interactions between gender of the bereaved offspring and predictor variables were evident for completion of all educational levels. Conclusion Parental death by external causes has vast and long-lasting impacts on offspring’s educational attainment at all levels. Health care interventions aimed at supporting bereaved children and adolescents should focus on challenges related to educational progress.


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