Overnutrition and Scholastic Achievement: Is There a Relationship? An 8-Year Follow-Up Study

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the association between overnutrition and scholastic achievement (SA).

Methods: A representative and proportional sample of 477 children of the 5th elementary school grade of both genders was randomly chosen during 2010, in the Metropolitan Region of Chile. SA was measured through the 2009 Education Quality Measurement System (SIMCE) tests of language (LSA), mathematics (MSA) and understanding of the natural environment (UNESA). Current nutritional status was assessed through the body mass index Z-score (Z-BMI). Nutritional quality of diet, schedule exercise, socioeconomic status, family, and educational variables were also recorded. Four and 8 years later, SA was assessed through the 2013 SIMCE and the University Selection Test (2017 PSU), respectively.

Results: Socioeconomic status, the number of repeated school years, and maternal schooling were strong predictors of 2009 SIMCE and the independent variables with the greatest explanatory power for LSA (Model R2 = 0.178; p < 0.00001) variances, besides of gender for MSA (Model R2 = 0.205; p< 0.00001) and UNESA (Model R2 = 0.272; p < 0.00001). Overnourished children did not have significantly lower 2009 and 2013 SIMCE and 2017 PSU outcomes.

Conclusions: These results confirm that overnourished children did not achieve significantly lower SA.

Keywords: BMI; Education; Family relations; Obesity; Overweight; Scholastic achievement; Socio-economic status; Students.

Fig. 1

Nutritional quality of diet expressed as unhealthy (black column), fair (grey column) and healthy (white column) by gender and 2010 BMI Z-score groups (N, normal; O, overnutrition = overweight + obesity). ^aChi-square test.

Fig. 2

Schedule exercise expressed as physically inactive (black column), moderately active (grey column) and physically active (white column) by gender and 2010 BMI Z-score groups (N, normal; O, overnutrition = overweight + obesity). ^aChi-square test.

Fig. 3

Dispersion diagram of language (LSA), mathematics (MSA) and understanding of natural environment scholastic achievement (UNESA) scores in the Education Quality Measurement System (2009 SIMCE) and current nutritional status expressed as 2010 BMI Z-score (2010 Z-BMI) by gender. LSA Pearson's correlation coefficient: r = 0.059, p > 0.05 (males) and r = −0.109, p > 0.05 (females); MSA Pearson's correlation coefficient: r = 0.069, p > 0.05 (males) and r = −0.081, p > 0.05 (females); UNESA Pearson's correlation coefficient: r = 0.027, p > 0.05 (males) and r = −0.053, p > 0.05 (females).