Unequal Distribution of Overweight Adolescents in Immigrant-Rich Areas: Analysis of Disparities among Public and Private School Students in Shanghai, China

Jianwei Shi, Duxun Tan, Huilin Xie, Beilei Yang, Rui Liu, Dehua Yu, Yuan Lu, Bing Mei and Zhaoxin Wang
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Jianwei Shi: Yangpu Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200090, China
Duxun Tan: The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510900, China
Huilin Xie: The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510900, China
Beilei Yang: College of Economic and Management, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Rui Liu: Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
Dehua Yu: Yangpu Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200090, China
Yuan Lu: Yangpu Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200090, China
Bing Mei: Department of Emergency, Shanghai Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
Zhaoxin Wang: Yangpu Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200090, China

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-15

Abstract: Accelerated urbanization and rising immigration to the big cities in China has resulted in education policies that produce disparate treatment of immigrant and non-immigrant students. The two types of students frequently wind up in different types of junior high schools. However, there is little research on whether disparities exist between students in public and private schools with regard to overweight. This study aims to address this gap through a comparison of the overweight status of junior high school students in public and private schools in Shanghai and explore the possible reasons for the observed differences. Students from two public and two private junior high schools were measured. In order to determine what factors might shape overweight among adolescents. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess associations between overweight and personal characteristics, birth-related factors, levels of physical activity, diet, family socioeconomic status and school environment. Students in private schools proved more likely to be overweight (15.20%, p < 0.05) than public school students (10.18%). Similarly, gender, breastfeeding, parental care and number of classes excluding physical education per day were found to be significant factors. However, private school students were also influenced by gestational age (yes/no: OR = 4.50, p < 0.001), frequency of snacks (sometimes/often: OR = 0.53, p < 0.01) and family income (¥6001–12,000/below ¥6000: OR = 3.27, p < 0.05). Time for lunch was the sole risk factor for public school students in the study ( p < 0.05). To reduce the unequal distribution of overweight students between the two types of schools, interventions that consider different multiple risk factors should be implemented.

Keywords: adolescent overweight; immigrant students; education; developing regions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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