1. The Effect of Obesity on Children’s Educational Attainment: The Korean Case Kwanghyun Lee (Busan National University of Education) Yongjae Kwon (Kookmin University)

2. Road Map Background & Motivation of Research Literature Review Data and Methodology Empirical Results Summary and Conclusion

3. Background Obesity among children is on the increase in Korea. In response to this problem, special act on Children’s food safety management was enacted in 2009. YearObese 200611.62% 200811.24% 201014.25%

4. Background An amendment to Special Act on Children’s Food Safety Management (effective from January 1 st 2010) –Setting standards for nutritional contents of high calorie and poor-nutritive foods (Article 3) 1Regulation of concrete permissible limits on calorie and nutritive value for high calorie and poor-nutritive foods are required. 2Classify the nutritional contents of children’s favorite foods into snacks and meal substitutes, and set the standards for the levels of calories, saturated fats, sugars, sodium and protein. 3Specify the list of foods that are subject to prohibition of sale at school and advertising restrictions in expectation of preventing children’s obesity and creating a healthy eating environment. Source: Korea Food and Drug Administration

5. Motivation of Research Despite the urgency of the matter, research measuring the effects of obesity on students’ lives and their academic achievement were rare in South Korea.

6. Research Question How are the relative weight statuses of children related to variables such as gender, geographic region, parental education, eating habit, and physical activity? Are the differences above statistically significant? Does the relative weight statuses have significant relationship with children’s academic achievement?

7. Literature Review Datar & Sturm(2006) –Moving from non-overweight to overweight between Kindergarten entry and end of third grade was significantly associated with reductions in test scores, teacher ratings of social-behavioral outcomes and approaches to learning among female students. Sabia(2007) –Significant negative relationship between BMI and GPA was found in white female aged 14-17 while the relationship was not convincing enough in nonwhite males and females. Kaestner & Grossman(2009) –Children who are overweight or obese have achievement scores that are about the same as children with average weight.

8. Data & Methodology Dataset from ‘analysis on the actual status and the level of Korean schools: A study on elementary schools’ (Korea Education Development Institute, 2011) were used for this study. –Data were collected by questionnaires from parents, students, teachers, and school administrators. (Students’ weight and height were asked for the first time.) –About 12,000 6 th grade students, enrolled in elementary schools, were sampled.

9. Data & Methodology The body mass index(BMI) is calculated according to Korean standard. GenderUnderweightNormalOverweightObese Male<14.93 ≥ 14.93 and <22.57 ≥ 22.57 and <25.00 ≥ 25.00 Female<14.73 ≥ 14.73 and <21.51 ≥ 21.51 and <23.99 ≥ 23.99 * Cut-off points were set by Center for Disease Control and Korean Pediatric Society.

10. Relative Weight Status: Gender & Geographical Region BMI categoryMaleFemaleTotal Chi- squared N%N%N% Underweight2634.23085.55714.836.60 ** Normal4,83178.04,5128.19,34379.0 Overweight6541.65239.31,17710.0 Obesity4477.22885.17356.2 Total6,1951005,63110011,826100 BMI categorySeoulMetro areaMiddle townSmall town Chi- squared N%N%N%N% Underweight585.0944.71855.22344.526.41 ** Normal91178.91,5898.12,8308.34,01377.7 Overweight1191.31889.53339.45371.4 Obesity665.71145.71775.03787.3 Total1,1541001,9851003,5251005,162100 *: p<0.05, **: p<0.01, ***: p<0.001

11. Relative Weight Status: Parental Education BMI categoryMiddle school High school Under- graduate Graduate or higher Chi- squared N%N%N%N% Underweight 133.91814.32395.4445.758.42 ** Normal 26178. 9 3,27777. 2 3,5838.762882. 0 Overweight 288.547511.24029.1668.6 Obesity 298.83137.42154.8283.7 Total 3311004,2461004,439100766100 BMI categoryMiddle school High school Under- graduate Graduate or higher Chi- squared N%N%N%N% Underweight 195.92113.92375.9123.853.08 ** Normal 24375. 0 4,21578. 3 3,2458.126884. 0 Overweight 3711.45851.93739.2309.4 Obesity 257.73706.91944.892.8 Total 3241005,3811004,049100319100 Father’s education Mother’s education *: p<0.05, **: p<0.01, ***: p<0.001

12. Relative Weight Status: Self-esteem & Depression BMI category Number of Students MeanStandard Deviation Standard Error F-statistic (Post-Hoc) Underweight5563.550.660.0326.444 *** Normal9,2353.580.650.01 Overweight1,1643.460.620.02 Obesity7213.400.630.02 Total11,6763.560.650.01 BMI category Number of Students MeanStandard Deviation Standard Error F-statistic (Post-Hoc) Underweight5542.151.170.056.476 *** Normal9,2052.121.120.01 Overweight1,1632.231.140.03 Obesity7212.251.140.04 Total11,6432.141.120.01 *: p<0.05, **: p<0.01, ***: p<0.001

13. Relative Weight Status: Bullying BMI category Number of Students MeanStandard Deviation Standard Error F-statistic (Post-Hoc) Underweight5552.021.270.0515.728 *** Normal9,1931.961.210.01 Overweight1,1632.131.270.04 Obesity7202.231.300.05 Total11,6312.001.230.01 *: p<0.05, **: p<0.01, ***: p<0.001

14. HLM results for Reading, Math, Science Scores BMI category ReadingMathScience CoefficientStandard error CoefficientStandard error CoefficientStandard error ………………… Overweight-0.2450.5390.2610.5090.2540.529 Obesity-1.513 * 0.701-1.182 * 0.574-1.288 # 0.698 ………………… #: p<0.10, *: p<0.05, **: p<0.01, ***: p<0.001

15. HLM results controlling for gender interaction terms BMI category ReadingMathScience CoefficientStandard error CoefficientStandard error CoefficientStandard error ………………… Overweight1.2230.8191.192 # 0.7041.545 # 0.812 Female × Overweight -3.134 ** 1.195-2.002 * 0.982-2.780 * 1.095 Obesity-0.7910.859-1.383 # 0.782-1.6420.947 Female × Obesity -1.7261.3420.5431.1660.9391.395 ………………… #: p<0.10, *: p<0.05, **: p<0.01, ***: p<0.001

16. Summary and Conclusion Obese female and male students tended to show lower academic achievement. In case of male, overweight students showed better academic performance compared to normal and obese students. However, this tendency did not appear in female students. HLM results demonstrated that obese students showed significantly lower academic performance compared to other students after explanatory variables such as family background, psychological variables, and school/teacher variables were controlled.