Childhood Obesity And School Performance:

Helal Abd El Fattah Abd El Aziz Helal

This research deals with study of childhood obesity and its impact on school performance of primary school children in Benha . Across section-al study was conducted on a sample of 50 obese. children in the first pri-mary stage; the average age was 6.6 years compared to 50 non obese age, sex and I. matched children ( controls ) . The study was done during the period from october 1990 to may 1991 .The obesity in these children was assessed by visual observation , an-thropoznetric measurements and full clinical examination to exclude any pathological obesity .The intellectual development was assessed by a specific intellegence test ( test of mental ability for children 6 - 8 years , Mosa 1984 )The scholastic performance was assessed by scholastic performance for nursery, first primary stage by Hassan, 1990 .The results of this study revealed that the averege weight of obese ( children ) in our sample was obove the 95 th percentile while that of controls was at the 50 th percentile , the average skinfold thickness of obese children was above the 95 th percentile while that of controls was slightly above the 50 th percentile .It was found that height , head circumference , chest circumference,midarm circumference were significantly heigher in obese than in con-trols .