Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2019 Jan;89(1):59-67.
doi: 10.1111/josh.12713.

School-Based Weight Management Program Curbs Summer Weight Gain Among Low-Income Hispanic Middle School Students

Layton Reesor  1 , Jennette P Moreno  2 , Craig A Johnston  1 , Daphne C Hernandez  3
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

School-Based Weight Management Program Curbs Summer Weight Gain Among Low-Income Hispanic Middle School Students

Layton Reesor et al. J Sch Health. 2019 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Research shows that elementary students gain weight over the summer. It is unknown if these findings apply to Hispanic adolescents. We evaluated school and summer standardized body mass index (zBMI) changes in Hispanic middle school students.

Methods: Hispanic middle school students were randomly assigned to a weight management program (N = 230) or control condition (N = 195). Paired sample t-tests compared zBMI change scores during the school year versus summer when not enrolled in a weight management program (eg, control group). We used 2 × 2 repeated measures analysis of variances to determine program group differences in zBMI scores across school versus summer periods separately for normal and overweight/obese students.

Results: In the control group, students' zBMI change scores decreased during the school year, but increased during summer for both normal weight and overweight/obese students. Program effects on zBMI indicated school year decreases and summer increases for both normal and overweight/obese students. However, zBMI scores did not differ by program status for normal weight students. Overweight/obese students in the program compared to the control group increased zBMI to a lesser extent over the summer.

Conclusion: For all students, zBMI increased during the summer. A school-based weight management program protected overweight/obese students against potentially greater summer weight gain.

Keywords: Hispanic health; adolescent health; overweight/obesity; school-based weight management; summer weight gain.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

References

    1. National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2015: With Special Feature on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. Hyattsville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2015. - PubMed
    1. Heron M Deaths: leading causes for 2013. Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2016;65(2):1–95. - PubMed
    1. Haslam DW, James WPT. Obesity. Lancet. 2005;366(9492): 1197–1209. - PubMed
    1. Lachal J, Orri M, Speranza M, et al. Qualitative studies among obese children and adolescents: a systematic review of the literature. Obes Rev. 2013;14(5):351–368. - PubMed
    1. Geier AB, Foster GD, Womble LG, et al. The relationship between relative weight and school attendance among elementary schoolchildren. Obesity. 2007;15(8):2157–2161. - PubMed

Publication types