Bullied status and physical activity in Texas youths

Data from the 2009–2011 School Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) project were analyzed to examine the association between bullied status at school during the past six months and engaging in five or more days of physical activity during the past seven days in a population of 8th and 11th grade Texas youths after stratifying by gender. As a secondary aim, this study also examined the association between weight status and the prevalence of bullied status at school. The final sample size for this study, after excluding missing data, consisted of 6,246 8th and 11th grade youths (girls, n= 3,237; boys, n=3,009) representing a total of 518,838 youths from 8th and 11th grade. Results from the multiple logistic regression adjusting for weight status, grade, and ethnicity, indicate that girls with a bullied status of at least two or three times per month had significantly lower odds of engaging in five or more days of physical activity during the past seven days than girls who were never bullied at school (ORadj=0.62; 95% CI, 0.40, 0.96). Conversely, girls who reported a bullied status of at least once per week were significantly more likely to engage in five or more days of physical activity during the past seven days compared to girls who were never bullied at school (ORadj=3.44; 95% CI, 1.56, 7.63). No significant associations between bullied status and engaging in five or more days of physical activity during the past seven days were found for boys. Bullied status differed significantly across weight status for 8th grade girls (χ2(6)=63.7, p<.05) and 11th grade boys (χ2(6) =94.93, p<.05), with overweight and obese youths reporting a higher prevalence of being bullied once or twice, at least two or three times per month, and at least once per week than their normal weight peers. Our finding that girls with bullied status of at least once per week were more likely to engage in five or more days of physical activity than girls who were never bullied warrants future qualitative research to identify potential explanations for such results. Future research on relational and weight-based bullying is also needed and may help explain the inconsistent findings between bullied status and engaging in physical activity in girls.^

A descriptive study of the sociodemographic, health and developmental factors associated with slow learning in children from upper to middle social class families in Texas

"Slow Learners" is a term used to describe children with an IQ range of 70-89 on a standardized individual intelligence test (i.e. with a standard deviation of either 15 or 16). They have above retarded, but below average intelligence and potential to learn. If the factors associated with the etiology of slow learning in children can be identified, it may be possible to hypothesize causal relationships which can be tested by intervention studies specifically designed to prevent slow learning. If effective, these may ultimately reduce the incidence of school dropouts and their cost to society. To date, there is little information about variables which may be etiologically significant. In an attempt to identify such etiologic factors this study examines the sociodemographic characteristics, prenatal history (hypertension, smoking, infections, medication, vaginal bleeding, etc.), natal history (length of delivery, Apgar score, birth trauma, resuscitation, etc.), neonatal history (infections, seizures, head trauma, etc.), developmental history (health problems, developmental milestones and growth during infancy and early childhood), and family history (educational level of the parents, occupation, history of similar condition in the family, etc.) of a series of children defined as slow learners. The study is limited to children from middle to high socioeconomic families in order to exclude the possible confounding variable of low socioeconomic status, and because a descriptive study of this group has not been previously reported. ^