Background Emerging evidence suggests perceptions of being overweight account for many of the psychosocial consequences commonly associated with obesity. Previous research suggests an obesity achievement gap, yet limited research has explored weight perception in association with academic performance. Moreover, underweight perceptions have typically been excluded from research. The current study examined how BMI classification and weight perception relate to academic performance in a large cohort of youth. Methods We used cross-sectional survey data from 61,866 grade 9–12 students attending the 122 Canadian schools that participated in Year 6 (2017/2018) of the COMPASS study. Mixed effect regression models were used to examine associations between students’ BMI classification and weight perceptions and their math and English/French course grades. All models were stratified by sex and adjusted for sociodemographic covariates and school clustering. Results For English/French grades, males and females with overweight or underweight perceptions were less likely to achieve higher grades than their peers with perceptions of being at “about the right weight”, controlling for BMI and covariates. For math grades, females with overweight perceptions, and all students with underweight perceptions, were less likely to achieve higher grades than their peers with “about the right weight” perceptions. All students with BMIs in the obesity range were less likely to report grades of 60% or higher than their peers with “normal-weight” BMIs, controlling for weight perception and covariates. Overweight BMIs were predictive of lower achievement in females for English/French grades, and in males for math grades, relative to “normal-weight” BMIs. Results for students that did not respond to the weight and weight perception items resembled those for obesity BMI and overweight/underweight perceptions, respectively. Conclusions Overall, this study demonstrates that an obesity achievement gap remains when controlling for students’ perceptions of their weight, and that both underweight and overweight perceptions predict lower academic performance, regardless of BMI classification. Results suggest barriers to academic success exist among youth with larger body sizes, and those with perceptions of deviating from “about the right weight”.

中文翻译：

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体重状况和体重感知是否与青少年的学业成绩相关？

背景 新出现的证据表明，对超重的看法导致了许多通常与肥胖相关的社会心理后果。先前的研究表明肥胖成就存在差距，但有限的研究探索了体重感知与学业成绩的关系。此外，体重过轻的看法通常被排除在研究之外。目前的研究检查了 BMI 分类和体重感知如何与一大群年轻人的学业成绩相关。方法 我们使用了来自参加 COMPASS 研究的 6 年级（2017/2018 年）的 122 所加拿大学校的 61,866 名 9-12 年级学生的横断面调查数据。混合效应回归模型用于检查学生的 BMI 分类和体重感知与其数学和英语/法语课程成绩之间的关联。所有模型均按性别分层，并针对社会人口学协变量和学校聚类进行了调整。结果 对于英语/法语成绩，在控制 BMI 和协变量的情况下，与认为体重“大约合适”的同龄人相比，具有超重或体重不足感的男性和女性不太可能获得更高的成绩。在数学成绩方面，体重超重的女性和所有体重不足的学生，与体重“大约”的同龄人相比，不太可能取得更高的成绩。在控制体重感知和协变量的情况下，所有 BMI 处于肥胖范围内的学生报告成绩为 60% 或更高的可能性低于具有“正常体重”BMI 的同龄人。超重的 BMI 预示着女性英语/法语成绩较低，在数学成绩的男性中，相对于“正常体重”的 BMI。对体重和体重感知项目没有反应的学生的结果分别类似于肥胖 BMI 和超重/体重不足感知的结果。结论 总体而言，这项研究表明，在控制学生对其体重的看法时，肥胖成绩差距仍然存在，并且无论 BMI 分类如何，体重不足和超重的看法都预示着学业成绩下降。结果表明，在体型较大的年轻人中，以及那些认为体重偏离“大约合适”的年轻人中，存在学业成功的障碍。分别。结论 总体而言，这项研究表明，在控制学生对其体重的看法时，肥胖成绩差距仍然存在，并且无论 BMI 分类如何，体重不足和超重的看法都预示着学业成绩下降。结果表明，在体型较大的年轻人中，以及那些认为体重偏离“大约合适”的年轻人中，存在学业成功的障碍。分别。结论 总体而言，这项研究表明，在控制学生对其体重的看法时，肥胖成绩差距仍然存在，并且无论 BMI 分类如何，体重不足和超重的看法都预示着学业成绩下降。结果表明，在体型较大的年轻人中，以及那些认为体重偏离“大约合适”的年轻人中，存在学业成功的障碍。