ERIC Number: EJ1045458
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Dec
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-4391
EISSN: N/A
School Social Capital and Body Mass Index in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health
Richmond, Tracy K.; Milliren, Carly; Walls, Courtney E.; Kawachi, Ichiro
Journal of School Health, v84 n12 p759-768 Dec 2014
Background: Social capital in neighborhoods and workplaces positively affects health. Less is known about the influence of school social capital on student health outcomes, in particular weight status. We sought to examine the association between individual- and school-level social capital and student body mass index (BMI). Methods: Analyzing data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative sample of adolescents in grades 7-12 (N = 13,428), we used principal components analysis to define 3 school social capital factors: "connectedness" (feel part of/close to people/safe in school), "treatment" (get along with teachers/students, teachers treat students fairly), and "parental involvement" (school administrator reported percent family/parent self-reported participation in Parent Teacher Organization, average daily school attendance). We examined the associations between individual- and school-level social capital and individual BMI using multilevel modeling techniques. Results: In girls, both feeling connected to one's school (ß = -0.06, p < 0.05) and attending schools with overall high connectedness (b = -0.43, p < 0.01) were associated with lower BMIs. In boys only attending a school with high "treatment" was inversely associated with BMI (b = -0.61, p < 0.01), adjusting for individual and school demographics. Conclusions: Although further studies are needed, our findings suggest enhancing school social capital as a novel approach to addressing student obesity.
Descriptors: Social Capital, Child Health, Body Weight, Body Composition, Longitudinal Studies, Correlation, Adolescents, Secondary School Students, Grade 7, Grade 8, Grade 9, Grade 10, Grade 11, Grade 12, Student School Relationship, Parent Participation, Teacher Student Relationship, Statistical Analysis, Gender Differences, Obesity
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education; Grade 7; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Elementary Education; Grade 8; Grade 9; High Schools; Grade 10; Grade 11; Grade 12
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A