School Health Infrastructure and Students’ Elevated Body Mass Index

Abstract

School-age children with overweight or obesity continue to be problematic in the United States, and are associated with many health, social, and financial problems. Schools provide an excellent venue in which to promote healthy weight in students, and school nurses are well-positioned to play an essential role in controlling obesity. The number of studies reporting relationships among school health infrastructure and prevalence of elevated Body Mass Index (BMI) is limited. The present study explored associations between three components of school health infrastructure (staff, services, budget) and the proportion overweight or obese 1st, 3rd, and 6th grade students, after controlling for selected factors (race, county education level, county poverty level, rurality). Study results supported an independent association between elevated BMI and school health staff. Additionally, independent associations between elevated BMI and the following covariates were supported: household income, race, and parents’ educational level. There is an ultimate need for well-designed studies addressing these associations.