Obese kids may miss more school

PHILADELPHIA , Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Overweight children may be at greater risk than normal-weight peers of school absenteeism, new research suggests.

A study of more than 1,000 fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade children in the Philadelphia school system determined that body mass index is as significant a factor in determining absenteeism as age, race, socioeconomic status and gender -- formerly the four main predictors for missing school.

The study -- published in the journal Obesity -- found that overweight children were absent on average 20 percent more than their normal-weight peers.

Missing school can contribute to such other problems as increased drug use, increased rates of pregnancy and poor academic performance, said the researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University.