Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at high risk for being overweight and obese. Little is known about how obesity in children with ASD is being addressed in primary care. This article reports findings from a survey completed by 327 general pediatricians, which included a fictional clinical vignette and Likert-scales assessing…

Data collected in psychological studies are mainly characterized by containing a large number of variables (multidimensional data sets). Analyzing multidimensional data can be a difficult task, especially if only classical approaches are used (hypothesis tests, analyses of variance, linear models, etc.). Regarding multidimensional models, visual…

Due to the increased prevalence of obesity and disparity experienced by youth with intellectual disabilities, efforts to synthesize existing knowledge of interventions to attenuate obesity within this marginalized population is imperative. The purpose of this investigation is to systematically analyze interventions targeting anthropometric changes…

Background: Prevalence and consequences of obesity and sedentary lifestyle are well-documented public health concerns for youth in the United States of America (USA) that disproportionally affect children from low income and minority families. Objective: This mixed-method study focused on estimating levels of physical activity and sedentary…

Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study--Kindergarten cohort (ECLS-K), this study aimed to identify body mass index (BMI) trajectories from kindergarten to eighth grade using group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM), examine the relationships between BMI trajectories and adolescents' school achievement (reading and math), determine…

Efforts to combat the U.S. obesity epidemic have been ongoing in earnest for nearly two decades, informed by a substantial body of knowledge and guided by numerous programmatic and policy recommendations. Yet, although there are some bright spots, I sense frustration in the public health community with the overall lack of clear progress in…

Children and adolescents who are overweight or obese are at a heightened risk of bullying involvement. The aim of the literature review is to review empirical research on weight-based bullying published between 2006 and 2016. Extant research was categorised by the following themes: (1) prevalence of weight-based bullying and peer victimisation;…

We examine separate and combined effects of children's body size and gender on school bullying victimization in the United States. Second-grade data for the 2012/13 school year from the US Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Cohort, 2011 were analyzed, hierarchical generalized logistic modeling was used, and three forms of school…

This article addresses the learner perspective on being overweight by listening to 39 Danish overweight children aged 8-13 years. In accordance with the existing critique of the 'obesity epidemic' and medico-scientific discourses around food and exercise, this article explores how new health imperatives shape overweight children's self-narratives.…

School psychologists are asked to provide a number of different services in schools, including evaluating and providing recommendations to educators and parents on children and adolescents with rare genetic conditions. One genetic disorder with physical, cognitive, and behavioral features is Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). PWS is a unique genetic…

BACKGROUND: Evidence consistently shows children in the United States gain 3 to 5 times more weight during summer vacation (~2.5 months) compared to the 9-month school year. The purpose of this study is to examine within-child differences in 4 obesogenic behaviors (physical activity [PA], sedentary/screen-time, diet, and sleep) during school…

Overweight and obesity have been reported to be more prevalent in populations with autism spectrum disorder than in children with typical development. The aim of this study was to compare the anthropometric status of children with autism spectrum disorder (diagnosed and subclinical) and children with typical development and analyse which variables…

The purpose of this study was to determine Pennsylvania principals' perceptions and understanding of the physical and psychosocial impact of childhood obesity, whether they believe schools should be addressing the issue, who they feel should be leading efforts within schools, what actions they believe are taking place to address the issue within…

Background: Overweight and obesity is a growing concern among individuals with intellectual disabilities; however, little is known about the prevalence among children and youth with Down syndrome (CYDS). The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight/obesity among CYDS in South West Ireland. Methods: This cross-sectional…

Background: Embedded within children's weight trajectories are complex environmental contexts that influence obesity risk. As such, the normative environment of body mass index (BMI) within schools may influence children's weight trajectories as they age from kindergarten to fifth grade. Methods: I use 5 waves of the ECLS-K--Kindergarten Class…