This study examines the relationship between relative weight and school attendance among 1,069 fourth to sixth graders from nine elementary schools in the inner city of Philadelphia, PA.
- Linear regression showed that the obese category remained a significant contributor to the number of days absent even after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, and gender.
- Data suggest that heavier children have greater risk for school absenteeism than their normal-weight peers. As the rate of childhood obesity increases, parallel increases in school absenteeism should be expected.
Geier, Andrew B., Foster, Gary, Womble, Leslie G., McLaughlin, Jackie, Borradile, Kelly E., Nachmani, Joan, Sherman, Sandy, Kumanyika, Shiriki and Shults, Justine. “The Relationship Between Relative Weight and School Attendance Among Elementary Schoolchildren.” Obesity. 15 (2007): 2157-2161.
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