Preschool Participation and BMI at Kindergarten Entry

Over a third of American children are overweight or obese, and thus at an increased risk for physical complications and psychosocial difficulties (Ogden et al., 2006). Research has identified the preschool years as a critical period in obesity development, and suggests that there may be a link between preschool attendance and obesity. However, findings examining this link are inconsistent. Lumeng et al. (2005) found that limited child care attendance was related to a decreased risk of being overweight in grade school. Conversely, Maher et al. (2008) found that non-Latino children attending Head Start were more likely to be obese than non-Latino children receiving home-based parent care. Given the inconsistencies in the literature, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between preschool attendance and obesity at kindergarten entry. This study examined the rates of overweight and obesity at kindergarten entry, risk factors for obesity at kindergarten entry, and the relationship between public preschool attendance and weight status at kindergarten entry. The data for this project are part of a larger dataset of 2,717 (M=5.56 years, SD=.38 years, 52% male) children enrolled in urban public kindergartens for the 2006-2007 academic year. Height and weight measurements collected as a part of the health screen were used to calculate each child's BMI z-score. Univariate analyses were calculated to examine demographic differences related to preschool attendance. A Poisson regression was used to examine incidence rates as a function of ethnicity, lunch status (whether or not a child received free or reduced lunch) and preschool attendance. Results indicated that at kindergarten entry, 18% of participants were obese and 17% were overweight. When the sample was split by preschool attendance, 18% of both groups were overweight. However, 15% of children who did not attendpreschool, and 19% of children who attended preschool were obese at kindergarten entry. The results of the Poisson regression model indicated that children attending a public preschool are at an increased risk for overweight (OR = 1.07) and obesity (OR = 1.36) at kindergarten entry, X2(24) = 19.89, p = .83 relative to normal weight children. However, ethnicity and lunch status were not significantly related to weight status at kindergarten entry. Similar to previous findings, over a third of children attending urban public kindergartens are overweight or obese (Ogden et al., 2006). Further, consistent with at least one other large-scale study, children who attended preschool had higher BMIs at kindergarten entry than their peers who did not attend preschool. While preschool attendance has been linked to improved academic performance later in life, the results of this study increase our understanding of the relationship between preschoolattendance and physical health. Specifically, these findings suggest that prevention/intervention programs might be most feasible and effective if implemented in the preschool setting. The findings of this study also have important implications for public policy, as they illustrate the need for guidelines for required daily physical activity and improved nutritional guidelines requiring daily intake of fruits and vegetables (Story, Kaphingst, and French, 2006).