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Abnormal body mass index may be related to poor social function of female children by a propensity score matching

You Yang1, Zhijuan Jin1, Shijian Liu2

  • 1Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 1678 Dongfang Road, Shanghai, 200127, People's Republic of China.

Scientific Reports
|March 19, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Children's body mass index (BMI) is linked to social function. Obese girls showed poorer social communication, while malnourished girls had better social function, suggesting BMI is a predictive factor.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Child Psychology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Social function is crucial for child development.
  • Body Mass Index (BMI) is a key indicator of a child's nutritional status.
  • Understanding the relationship between BMI and social function is important for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between children's body mass index (BMI) and their social function.
  • To analyze this relationship in a population-based sample of children in Shanghai, China.

Main Methods:

  • A large, population-based cross-sectional study was conducted.
  • Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to control for confounding factors.
  • Children's BMI was categorized, and social function was assessed using the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ).

Main Results:

  • A statistically significant positive correlation was found between BMI and SCQ scores in obese school-aged females, indicating poorer social communication.
  • A statistically significant negative correlation was observed between BMI and SCQ scores in school-aged females with malnutrition, suggesting better social communication.
  • The analysis included 7563 children aged 3-12 years after 1:3 matching.

Conclusions:

  • Body Mass Index (BMI) may serve as a predictive factor for social function in children.
  • Specific BMI categories (obesity and malnutrition) are associated with distinct social communication patterns in school-aged females.
  • Further research is warranted to explore the causal mechanisms underlying these associations.

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