I provide novel evidence on the role of imperfect information in shaping childhood obesity. Between 2003 and 2017, 24 states began requiring schools to perform Body Mass Index assessments on students. Using the 1991 to 2017 National and State Youth Risk Behavior Surveys and a stacked difference-in-differences identification strategy, I show that…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of HIIT training on body composition and fitness in female adolescents and compare with regular physical education classes. Method: A total participant sample consisted of 40 adolescent females from the secondary grammar school, who were randomly assigned to the experimental group…

Background: Little is known about the effects of outdoor behavioral healthcare on participants' body composition or about the relationship between body changes and indicators of mental health. Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to compare body and mental health changes in adolescents in an 8-week adventure therapy program.…

The relationship between dietary habits and microbiota composition during adolescence has not been well examined. This is a crucial knowledge gap to fill considering that diet-microbiota interactions influence neurodevelopment, immune system maturation and metabolic regulation. This study examined the associations between diet and the gut…

This study examined the relationship between physical activity, body image, and subjective well-being among Swedish adolescents over time. Surveying 2308 students, with 137 providing longitudinal data, we conducted a multivariate logistic regression analysis. No significant correlations were found between physical activity (p = 0.268), body…

Regular physical activity and balanced nutrition are important in maintaining a healthy weight. Nonetheless, minority populations, like Hispanics, face challenges (e.g., language barriers and transportation unavailability) that limit their participation in intervention programs to receive benefits. Furthermore, dog companionship has been shown to…

The association of overweight/obesity, and central obesity with thiocyanate (SCN), perchlorate (CIO), and nitrate (NO) in childhood and adolescence is unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore this association in 4447 participants comprising children and adolescents (aged 6-19 years) using data from the United States National Health and…

Introduction: Heavy metals such as Lead (Pb) and Mercury (Hg) can affect adipose tissue mass and function. Considering the high prevalence of exposure to heavy metals and obesity in Mexico, we aim to examine if exposure to Pb and Hg in adolescence can modify how fat is accumulated in early adulthood. Methods: This study included 100 participants…

Background: The longitudinal impact of fetal growth on attention problems in males and females is unclear. This study aims to evaluate the impact of fetal growth assessed by neonatal anthropometry throughout childhood and adolescence in males and females separately. Methods: We compared neonatal anthropometry (birth weight (BW), head circumference…

Objectives: This study aims to examine associations between changes in physical education, anxiety, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and muscular fitness (MF) in adolescents. Methods: Participants were Finnish students (baseline: n = 1,147; 11.27 [0.32] years). Data were collected over 4 years (2017-2021). CRF was assessed with the 20 m shuttle…

Purpose: This review aimed to evaluate the utility of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) programs integrated into physical education classes. Method: Searches of electronic databases from January 2008 to March 2020. Inclusion criteria: Applied to adolescents aged 10-19 years; applied in school settings; reported results on physical fitness,…

Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at a heightened risk for obesity. Family-level measures of nutrition and physical activity may help explain factors contributing to disproportionate rates of weight gain. Twenty adolescents with ASD participated in baseline testing for a study to assess the feasibility of remotely-delivered yoga.…

Compared to their public-school peers, homeschool students are less physically active, perform worse in health-related physical fitness tests, and have poorer body composition status (Kabiri et al., 2017; Kabiri et al., 2020; Long et al., 2010; Tribby & Berrigan, 2021). The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of an outdoor…

Background: Adolescents with overweight or obesity are at greater risk of having physical and psychosocial consequences. With increased disparities and inadequate literature on prevalence of adolescent weight status in rural Appalachia, there is potential for further complications. Unfortunately, adolescent obesity treatment options are often…

Using the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (weighted population size = 35,460,209; 8-18 years old; 52.1% males), we compared the obesity prevalence in children and adolescents between body mass index-based (BMI-based) and total percent body fat-based (BF%-based, measured by the dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) cutoffs.…