Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1048842 | Health & Place | 2011 | 7 Pages |
Abstract
We examined the associations between the physical, social, and policy environments of schools and adiposity in 9-10 year old children in Norfolk, UK. The relationships between 56 school-level variables and Fat Mass Index (FMI; fat mass (kg)/height (m2)) were investigated among 1724 well characterised children from 92 schools in this cross-sectional study. After stepwise removal of variables from multilevel linear regression models stratified by gender, only three variables were significantly associated with FMI. Among girls, attending a school with more pupils in the year group was associated with lower FMI, and attending a school with better cycle provision was associated with higher FMI. In boys being allowed to eat any food at break-time was associated with higher FMI. There was some evidence of moderation of the relationship between cycle provision and FMI by urban-rural location. These data suggest that few school factors are associated with FMI, and provide limited pointers to inform potential future school-based interventions to reduce obesity.
Related Topics
Health Sciences
Medicine and Dentistry
Public Health and Health Policy
Authors
Flo Harrison, Graham Bentham, Andrew P. Jones, AedÃn Cassidy, Esther M.F. van Sluijs, Simon J. Griffin,