School-Based Body Mass Index Screening and Parent Notification

A Comprehensive Review of School‐Based Body Mass Index Screening Programs and Their Implications for School Health: Do the Controversies Accurately Reflect the Research?

“…Arkansas' program indicates that BMI report cards alone cannot reduce rates of overweight and obesity in students . Similar findings have been presented in California, where BMI report cards are optional for school districts . Although supporters of BMI screening programs are encouraged by the stabilization of Arkansas students' BMIs (overweight and obese remained constant at 17% and 21%, respectively), NHANES data show a similar national trend, suggesting that Arkansas' findings may not necessarily be a result of the screening programs .…”

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

“…Forty percent of U.S. youth 31 live in states where schools are required or known to send BMI reports to parents. 2,32 In the first randomized trial of BMI screening and reporting in the U.S., we find that BMI reports do not improve student weight status, nor are there impacts among subgroups based on race/ethnicity or grade. With respect to adverse consequences, results were mixed.…”

Impact of environmental interventions based on social programs on physical activity levels: A systematic review

“…Several approaches were used in the natural experiments as shown in Table 2 . From pre- and post-cohorts with a control group or prospective cohorts ( 36 , 38 , 43 , 52 , 53 , 60 ), controlled before and after studies ( 40 , 46 – 48 , 57 , 59 , 62 ) before and after studies with and without a control group ( 49 – 51 , 54 , 55 ), as well as quasi-experimental ( 37 , 56 ), cross-sectional pre- and post-intervention studies with or without a control group ( 35 , 39 , 41 , 42 , 58 , 61 ) providing repeated measures and retrospective studies ( 44 , 45 ). The 24 studies indicated that they were working on PA policies worldwide or nationally, but 25% did not specify the specific PA policy Using natural experiments to evaluate population health interventions: new Medical Research Council guidance ( 36 , 44 , 47 , 51 , 59 , 62 ), 37.5% described the PA policy, but did not evaluate its development ( 35 , 37 , 40 – 42 , 55 , 57 , 58 , 60 ) and the remaining studies were framed within national public policies on PA or active transportation clearly showing the evaluation of implementation at the level of parks, cities, schools or active transportation ( Table 2 ).…”

“…Objective measurement data of PA was measured with the following instruments including an accelerometer in 7 studies ( 35 , 36 , 40 , 44 , 48 , 58 , 59 ) a pedometer in 1 ( 62 ); and global or geographic location such as GPS, and ACTIVE-PAL-3C in 4 studies ( 36 , 40 , 47 , 50 ). Finally, 8 studies reported other physiologic measures including anthropometrics, vascular resistance, METS, and blood chemistry such as lipid profile, cholesterol, triglycerides, and glycemia ( 38 , 42 – 44 , 48 , 49 , 55 , 59 ).…”

“…Changes in the time of PA were also examined of which 15 of 22 studies) ( 35 – 37 , 39 , 41 , 43 , 44 , 46 , 48 – 50 , 52 – 62 ) demonstrated that the changes generated an increase or modification in minutes spent in PA, whether it was daily, weekly, and total PA for the population. Eight studies in the school area ( 43 , 44 , 48 , 49 , 55 , 56 , 58 , 59 ) reported an increase of 89.4 min of weekly PA in students with increases in LPA from 422 to 460 min, vigorous PA from 30 to 40 min per week, and total PA from 187 to 230 min per week. Similarly, the studies of PA in parks and cities ( 35 , 41 , 50 , 52 ) found an increase in the minutes of participation in recreational pathways, parks, or modified city areas, with an accumulated total time of 27 min of moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA).…”