A trend analysis of overweight and obesity levels of middle school students in a southeast Texas district

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of overweight/obesity among middle school students in a school district in southeast Texas by comparing the current statistics (school year 2011–2012) with those in the previous year (2010–2011). Using FITNESSGRAM, teachers reported archival body mass index (BMI) data of middle school students (N = 1991; 51.88% boys and 48.12% girls) reported between 2011 and 2012 which were examined with cross-sectional analysis by grade, age, and gender and then compared to the previous year's data (2010–2011; N = 2908; 52.5% boys and 47.5% girls) to determine the trend of obesity levels among students in the district. The students' BMI was percentile ranked using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's >85th percentile rating as an index for overweight or BMI above the 95th percentile as an index of access fat, an indication of obesity. Results indicate a slight increase in overweight and obesity levels from the previous year, especially among female students aged 12–13 years (m = 21.74, SD = 1.017 vs. m = 24.56, SD = 1.129). Based on these findings, the prevalence of obese children in the district (2011–2012) was 16.26% compared to the previous year (2010–2011) of 14.63%. The results demonstrate the prevalence of overweight and obesity and indicate an increasing trend for this age group. Physical educators should incorporate activities to motivate children of this age group and encourage them to become more physically active and reverse this current trend.

Keywords::

• middle school
• adolescents
• overweight
• obese
• health

Notes

^1. Email: [email protected]

^2. Email: [email protected]