Massachusetts Pediatricians’ Views Toward Body Mass Index Screening in Schools

Bottino, Clement J.; Ferranti, Sarah D. de; Meyers, Alan; Rhodes, Erinn T.

doi:10.1177/0009922815618487

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 20 publications

(41 reference statements)

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“…Measuring student BMI at school is controversial, and numerous experts have raised concerns that school-based BMI screening may have unintended negative consequences . Massachusetts, which instituted BMI reporting in 2009, stopped sending BMI reports in 2014 because of concerns about stigmatization .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of School-Based Body Mass Index Reporting in California Public Schools

et al. 2021

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IMPORTANCE Annually, US schools screen millions of students' body mass index (BMI) and report the results to parents, with little experimental evidence on potential benefits and harms.OBJECTIVE To determine the impact of school-based BMI reporting on weight status and adverse outcomes (weight stigmatization and weight-related perceptions and behaviors) among a diverse student population. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Cluster randomized clinical trial. The Fit Study (2014)(2015)(2016)(2017) randomized 79 California schools to BMI screening and reporting (group 1), BMI screening only (group 2), or control (no BMI screening or reporting [group 3]) in grades 3 to 8. The setting was California elementary and middle schools. Students in grades 3 to 7 at baseline participated for up to 3 years. A modified intent-to-treat protocol was used. Data analysis was conducted from April 13, 2017, to March 26, 2020.INTERVENTIONS School staff assessed BMI each spring among students in groups 1 and 2. Parents of students in group 1 were sent a BMI report each fall for up to 2 years. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESChanges in BMI z score and in adverse outcomes (based on surveys conducted each fall among students in grades 4 to 8) from baseline to 1 and 2 years of follow-up.RESULTS A total of 28 641 students (14 645 [51.1%] male) in grades 3 to 7 at baseline participated in the study for up to 3 years. Among 6534 of 16 622 students with a baseline BMI in the 85th percentile or higher (39.3%), BMI reporting had no effect on BMI z score change (−0.003; 95% CI, −0.02 to 0.01 at 1 year and 0.01; 95% CI, −0.02 to 0.03 at 2 years). Weight dissatisfaction increased more among students having BMI screened at school (8694 students in groups 1 and 2) than among control participants (5674 students in group 3). Results of the effect of BMI reporting on other adverse outcomes were mixed: compared with the control (group 3), among students weighed at school (groups 1 and 2), weight satisfaction declined more after 2 years (−0.11; 95% CI, −0.18 to −0.05), and peer weight talk increased more after 1 year (0.05; 95% CI, 0.01-0.09); however, concerning weight control behaviors declined more after 1 year (−0.06; 95% CI, −0.10 to −0.02).CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Body mass index reports alone do not improve children's weight status and may decrease weight satisfaction. To improve student health, schools should consider investing resources in evidence-based interventions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of School-Based Body Mass Index Reporting in California Public Schools

et al. 2021

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“…36 Increasing evidence suggests that interventions to reduce obesity should focus on changing social, socioeconomic, and built environment factors, all of which play major roles in the development of obesity. 39,40 Measuring student BMI at school is controversial 41,42 and numerous experts have raised concerns that school-based BMI screening may have unintended negative consequences. 16,43,44 Massachusetts, which instituted BMI reporting in 2009, stopped sending BMI reports in 2014 due to concerns about stigmatization.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of school-based body mass index reporting in California public schools: a randomized clinical trial

Madsen¹,

Thompson²,

Linchey³

et al. 2021

ESPE

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This study was funded by NIH/NHLBI R01HD074759. The funder had no role in any of the following activities: design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Kristine Madsen had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. Kristine Madsen and Shalika Gupta conducted all analyses contained in this manuscript. Nancy Fang Liu, BA, Benjamin King, MPP, and Ana Ibarra-Castro, BA, contributed substantial efforts on data collection and data entry while working as paid Research Assistants on this study at the

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“…In the absence of such information, it is not possible to verify whether PFT places students at elevated risk for bullying in the school environment. Finally, 11% of 286 pediatricians surveyed in Massachusetts 79 reported that they had delivered counseling to parents about bullying related to school-based BMI screening. Given the very low response rate on this survey (18.6%) and the small number of pediatricians who mentioned bullying as an issue raised by parents in the clinical setting, this study provides only a weak indication that school-based PFT may be associated with bullying.…”

Section: Association Between Bullying and Physical Fitness Testingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Critical Evaluation of the Case for Pausing California’s School-based Fitness Testing

Woodworth

Schneider

2021

Health Behav Policy Rev

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Objective: We undertook a literature review to evaluate the evidence for an association among school-based fitness testing and bullying, weight-based teasing (WBT), and/or gender discrimination. Methods: We searched the peer-reviewed literature using PubMed, ERIC and GOOGLE Scholar to identify articles related to school-based physical fitness testing (K-12) on the one hand and bullying, WBT, and/or gender discrimination on the other. Results: We identified 12 studies on the impact of school-based physical fitness testing (PFT) on bullying and WBT. These studies do not support the assertion that PFT places students at elevated risk for bullying and/or WBT as compared to other school settings. There is a dearth of studies investigating an association between PFT and gender discrimination. Conclusions: The concerns about PFT as a widespread cause of bullying and WBT are not supported by the evidence. It is likely that school climate is a stronger determinant overall of these negative student interactions and that more rigorous teacher training would ameliorate student concerns about fitness testing. Nevertheless, more rigorous research is warranted to determine with confidence that PFT does not elevate students’ risks for bullying and WBT and to examine the risks for students with non-binary gender.

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Massachusetts Pediatricians’ Views Toward Body Mass Index Screening in Schools

Cited by 4 publications

References 20 publications

Effect of School-Based Body Mass Index Reporting in California Public Schools

Effect of School-Based Body Mass Index Reporting in California Public Schools

Effect of school-based body mass index reporting in California public schools: a randomized clinical trial

Critical Evaluation of the Case for Pausing California’s School-based Fitness Testing

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