Mentor/s
Dr. Patricia Lewis
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
Childhood obesity is a major healthcare concern, as millions of children are classified as overweight and obese. Socioeconomic status (SES) influences the prevalence of childhood obesity, especially individuals from low SES. A child's living environment, attending low income schools, parental education, and low family income all impact a child's risk of becoming obese. The National Survey of Children's Health 2021 data was used to observe the relationship between Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and identification of being overweight by a doctor. Family poverty level is significantly associated with obesity among children aged 5-12. This hypothesis was tested used cross-tabulation with chi-square analysis. 9.4% of individuals under the poverty threshold in the 0-99% FPL category were identified by a doctor as overweight, as compared to 4.6% of individuals in the 400% FPL or greater category. The relationship is statistically significant, with a p-value is < 0.001.
College and Major available
Health Science
Location
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Start Day/Time
4-26-2024 12:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-26-2024 2:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Poverty's Role in Shaping the Childhood Obesity Epidemic
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Childhood obesity is a major healthcare concern, as millions of children are classified as overweight and obese. Socioeconomic status (SES) influences the prevalence of childhood obesity, especially individuals from low SES. A child's living environment, attending low income schools, parental education, and low family income all impact a child's risk of becoming obese. The National Survey of Children's Health 2021 data was used to observe the relationship between Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and identification of being overweight by a doctor. Family poverty level is significantly associated with obesity among children aged 5-12. This hypothesis was tested used cross-tabulation with chi-square analysis. 9.4% of individuals under the poverty threshold in the 0-99% FPL category were identified by a doctor as overweight, as compared to 4.6% of individuals in the 400% FPL or greater category. The relationship is statistically significant, with a p-value is < 0.001.
Students' Information
Leah Demko, Health Science major with a Public Health concentration and a Psychology minor. An honors student. Graduating December 2024.
Megan Gaffney, not honors, Health Science major, and graduating May 2024
Abby Hudson, not honors, Health Science major, and graduating December 2024
Katherine Mazzarelli, not honors, Health Science major with a Nutrition and Dietetics concentration, and graduating May 2024
Sabrina Palen, not honors, Health Science major with a Nutrition and Dietetics concentration, graduating December 2024