(P14-085-23) Child Body Mass Index and Lunch Meal Consumption: Secondary Analyses of Three Congregate Meal Programs

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between child body mass index (BMI) and energy intake as assessed by calories (kcal) in adolescent populations aged 7-14 years. This was a secondary analysis of three different studies using correlation statistics.

Methods: The present study examined middle childhood and adolescent populations between the ages of 7 – 14 years of age from three different studies: a dietary assessment validation study conducted at the Georgia 4-H Rock Eagle summer camp (Eatonton, GA), a middle-school diet study at an Alabama middle school (Birmingham, AL), and a Clarke County School District dietary recall accuracy study (Athens, GA). Energy intake and meal consumption were recorded via direct observation techniques from the mentioned studies to investigate the correlation between dietary lunch meal consumption and child Body Mass Index (BMI). Child weight and height were measured to calculate BMI and compared to CDC growth charts to assess percentile or Z-score with energy intake (kcal) measured using the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR).

Results: Results showed that those participants categorized with higher BMI had a statistically significant and positive correlation with lunch meal energy consumption (kcal) (B=5.824 ±1.639, p-value < 0.001), despite accounting for covariates including gender, race/ethnicity, and age.

Conclusions: The current study extends previous studies that support a positive correlation between BMI and energy intake in adolescent populations. The secondary analyses used in this study informed the general design of future research in terms of identifying the variables that contribute to an increasingly large percentage of adolescent obesity cases.

Funding Sources: University of Georgia's Center of Undergraduate Research Opportunities