1 School-Based Measurement for BMI: Reasons for Optimism and Concern RWJF Forum on “Issues and Implications of Screening, Surveillance and Reporting of Children’s BMI”, January , Julia Graham Lear, PhD Research Professor, Department of Prevention and Community Health, and Director, Center for Health and Health Care in Schools, School of Public Health and Health Services, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC

2 Evidence from Arkansas: State-wide school-based screening for BMI can be organized and implemented. –Parents, political leaders and school officials are mostly supportive; students are compliant – Issues of cost and putting mechanisms in place to assure accurate measurement are manageable Questions: Is screening necessary? Is it desirable? School-Based Measurement of Students’ BMI, #1

3 School-Based Measurement of Students’ BMI, #2 Research, together with expert opinion, suggests BMI surveillance matches better to current level of evidence. –If goal is prevention, trend data sufficient to track impact of policies & programs on student overweight –If goal is early intervention/treatment of individuals, school-based screening valuable when there are effective responses. No evidence suggests that the most common response to childhood overweight-- referral to a medical provider -- impacts an individual child’s weight. –In absence of compelling data, other issues should be considered: opportunity costs as well as real costs associated with universal screening. Also note, Center Roundtable report (2005) on SN/SBHCs and childhood overweight as well as MN study reporting attitudes of overweight students and their parents

4 The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools  2121 K Street, NW, Suite 250 Washington, DC (fax) School of Public Health and Health Services, The George Washington University Medical Center