Table 2.
Results from regression analyses with fourth-grade children.
| Academic subjects from the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests (PACT) a | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Girls (n = 808) | English | Math | Social studies | Science | All four academic subjects combined |
|
| Independent variable | Estimate (P value) | |||||
|
Body mass index (BMI) percentile b |
0.007 (0.3053) | −0.012 (0.3965) | 0.009 (0.4675) | 0.015 (0.1682) | 0.019 (0.5929) | |
| Race | −6.504 (<0.0001) | −9.274 (<0.0001) | −5.166 (0.0129) | −10.682 (<0.0001) | −31.626 (<0.0001) | |
| Chi-square (P value) | ||||||
| Socioeconomic status c | 78.30 (<0.0001) | 81.18 (<0.0001) | 76.08 (<0.0001) | 32.28 (<0.0001) | 72.91 (<0.0001) | |
| School year d | 1.49 (0.4740) | 1.87 (0.3929) | 15.07 (0.0129) | 19.32 (<0.0001) | 4.79 (0.0910) | |
| Boys (n = 696) | English | Math | Social studies | Science |
All four academic subjects combined |
|
| Independent variable | Estimate (P value) | |||||
| BMI percentile | −0.014 (0.4311) | −0.031 (0.1100) | −0.012 (0.5530) | −0.047 (0.0237) | −0.104 (0.1323) | |
| Race | −5.226 (0.0039) | −11.615 (<0.0001) | −7.838 (0.0002) | −12.656 (<0.0001) | –37.335 (<0.0001) | |
| Chi-square (P value) | ||||||
| Socioeconomic status | 73.96 (<0.0001) | 23.44 (<0.0001) | 22.25 (<0.0001) | 26.12 (<0.0001) | 35.07 (<0.0001) | |
| School year | 0.40 (0.8176) | 1.76 (0.415) | 7.51 (0.0234) | 7.68 (0.0215) | 2.86 (0.2398) | |
School staff administered the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests (PACT) according to state guidelines in May of each school year. 35 The PACT, a set of standardized exams, covered four academic subjects (English, math, social studies, science).
In the spring of children’s fourth-grade school year, research staff measured weight and height, and calculated body mass index (BMI) and BMI percentile.38
Eligibility for free/reduced-price school meals was used as a proxy measure for socioeconomic status (SES) according to three categories: low-SES (eligible for free school meals), medium-SES (eligible for reduced-price school meals), and high-SES (not eligible for free or reduced-price school meals).40
Data were collected on children in the fourth grade during the 2004–2005, 2005–2006, and 2006–2007 school years.