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High BMI associated with lower IQ scores in children
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A higher BMI in preschool-aged children is associated with lower IQ scores, though certain socioeconomic factors can mitigate that link, according to research in Nutrition & Diabetes.
In a cross-sectional, community-based study of more than 1,100 preschool-aged children in Iran, the researchers found that, while high BMI may have an impact on IQ scores, a family’s household income, family size, type of infant feeding and the parents’ education levels can influence that association.
Amir Alishahi Tabriz, MD, MPH, a PhD student of health policy and management at the Gillings School of Public Health at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and colleagues at other institutions analyzed data from 1,151 children aged 6 to 7 years (51.9% boys; 16.2% first-born children) from randomly selected schools in both urban and suburban provinces in Iran between April 25, 2009 and May 19, 2013. Parents completed questionnaires regarding area of residence, household size and income, parents’ education levels, type of childbirth (vaginal or cesarean) and type of infant feeding (breastfeeding or formula). Researchers measured BMI in all children and applied the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children to assess the children’s reasoning skills. Type of diet, physical activity levels and parental IQ were not considered.
After using linear regression analysis to eliminate the effect of confounding factors, researchers found that BMI was negatively related with IQ test results ( = -0.594), while living in either a metropolitan area ( = 2.411) or urban location ( = 2.761), as well as father’s education level ( = 5.251) were all positively associated with IQ results.
“Although other studies doubted this relation [BMI and IQ] by considering the influence of socioeconomic status, our study showed a significant relation between IQ scores of children and their BMI,” the researchers wrote. “IQ-obesity association remained statistically significant after adjusting for the type of delivery, type of infancy feeding, area of residence, household income and parents’ education, although it was attenuated considering these factors.”
Children who were breastfed or from wealthier or smaller families also had higher IQ scores, according to researchers. – by Regina Schaffer
D isclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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