2018_EJRNL_PP_ALBERTO_M__ORTEGA_HINOJOSA_1.pdf
Terbatas Lili Sawaludin Mulyadi
» ITB
Terbatas Lili Sawaludin Mulyadi
» ITB
Objective: To conduct a state-wide examination of public schools and the school neighborhood as potential
targets for environmental public health tracking to address childhood obesity.
Methods: We examined the relationship of social and physical environmental attributes of the school environment (within school and neighborhood) and childhood obesity in California with machine learning (Random
Forest) and multilevel methods. We used data compiled from the California Department of Education, the U.S.
Geological Survey, ESRI's Business Analyst, the U.S. Census, and other public sources for ecologic level variables
for various years and assessed their relative importance to obesity as determined from the statewide Physical
Fitness Test 2003 through 2007 for grades 5, 7, and 9 (n = 5,265,265).
Results: In addition to individual-level race and gender, the following within and school neighborhood variables
ranked as the most important model contributors based on the Random Forest analysis and were included in
multilevel regressions clustered on the county. Violent crime, English learners, socioeconomic disadvantage,
fewer physical education (PE) and fully credentialed teachers, and diversity index were positively associated
with obesity while academic performance index, PE participation, mean educational attainment and per capita
income were negatively associated with obesity. The most highly ranked built or physical environment variables
were distance to the nearest highway and greenness, which were 10th and 11th most important, respectively.
Conclusions: Many states in the U.S. do not have school-based surveillance programs that collect body mass
index data. System-level determinants of obesity can be important for tracking and intervention. The results of
these analyses suggest that the school social environment factors may be especially important. Disadvantaged
and low academic performing schools have a higher risk for obesity. Supporting such schools in a targeted way
may be an efficient way to intervene and could impact both health and academic outcomes. Some of the more
important variables, such as having credentialed teachers and participating in PE, are modifiable risk factors.