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School performance as a predictor of adulthood obesity: a 21-year follow-up study

  • Obesity
  • Published:
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Abstract

We examined the impact of school performance measured in terms of grade point averages (GPAs) in early and middle adolescence (ages 9, 12, and 15), and the impact of school performance throughout the different school stages on adult obesity. The participants were 732 healthy women and men derived from a population-based Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. GPAs were measured at the ages of 9, 12, and 15. The body mass index (BMI; kg/m²), and the waist circumference (WC) were conducted participants being aged 27 or 30. Birth weight, childhood BMI, adulthood physical activity, maternal and paternal BMI, and maternal education were controlled for. The results showed that low GPAs in each measurement and low GPAs throughout the comprehensive school were a risk factor of adulthood obesity, but only among women. The association remained when controlling for potential confounding variables (p-values in the fully adjusted models 0.026, 0.007, and 0.004 at the ages of 9, 12, and 15, respectively). The results were similar when the BMI was used as a dichotomous variable (BMI ≥ 30 and BMI < 30). Low school performance has previously been associated with higher rates of smoking and alcohol consumption later in life. Our result underscores that low school performance is a health risk factor that should be taken seriously in preventive health education.

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Abbreviations

BMI:

Body mass index

WC:

Waist circumference

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Academy of Finland (grants 124399 for L.K.-J., and 123621 for L.P.-R.), The Research Funds of the University of Helsinki (L.P.-R.), Alfred Kordelin’s Foundation (S.A.), Oskar Öflund’s Foundation (S.A.), Signe and Ane Gyllenberg’s Foundation (L.K.-J., and M.H.), and Yrjö Jahnsson’s Foundation (M.H.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 9 (Siltavuorenpenger 1A), 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Saija Alatupa, Laura Pulkki-Råback, Mirka Hintsanen & Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen

  2. Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41A, 00250, Helsinki, Finland

    Laura Pulkki-Råback

  3. Centre for Knowledge and Innovation Research (CKIR), Helsinki School of Economics (HSE), P.O. Box 21255 (Fredrikinkatu 48), 00076, Aalto, Finland

    Niklas Ravaja

  4. Department of Clinical Physiology, Turku University Hospital, P.O. Box 52 (Kiinamyllynkatu 4-8), 20521, Turku, Finland

    Olli T. Raitakari

  5. Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, P.O. Box 52 (Kiinamyllynkatu 10), 20520, Turku, Finland

    Olli T. Raitakari

  6. LIKES Research Centre, Keltavuokko 4 C, 40520, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Risto Telama

  7. Department of Medicine, University of Turku, P.O. Box 52 (Kiinamyllynkatu 13), 20520, Turku, Finland

    Jorma S. A. Viikari

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  1. Saija Alatupa
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  2. Laura Pulkki-Råback
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  8. Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen
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Correspondence to Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen.

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Alatupa, S., Pulkki-Råback, L., Hintsanen, M. et al. School performance as a predictor of adulthood obesity: a 21-year follow-up study. Eur J Epidemiol 25, 267–274 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-010-9428-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-010-9428-6

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