Research Article

School Accountability and Youth Obesity: Can Physical Education Mandates Make a Difference?

Table 2

Descriptive statistics.

AllGrades 3–8 (ages 8–13)High School (ages 14–17)

Child is at risk of overweight0.308 (0.461)0.361 (0.480)0.239 (0.427)
Child is overweight0.157 (0.364)0.195 (0.396)0.109 (0.311)
Quality Counts index (0–3)1.616 (1.114)1.632 (1.111)1.595 (1.118)
Carnoy-Loeb index (0–5)3.106 (1.694)3.130 (1.695)3.075 (1.693)
PA level: days of active exercise per week (0–7)3.978 (2.332)4.286 (2.225)3.584 (2.406)
Father exercises regularly0.515 (0.499)0.522 (0.499)0.505 (0.499)
Mother exercises regularly0.0256 (0.159)0.0251 (0.156)0.0277 (0.164)
Maternal education:
 High school0.228 (0.419)0.234 (0.423)0.220 (0.414)
 More than high school0.724 (0.447)0.712 (0.453)0.739 (0.439)
Race:
 Black0.106 (0.307)0.112 (0.315)0.0985 (0.298)
 Hispanic0.117 (0.321)0.131 (0.338)0.0979 (0.297)
 Multiracial0.0379 (0.191)0.041 (0.198)0.0343 (0.182)
 Other0.0403 (0.197)0.0407 (0.198)0.0397 (0.195)
Household income falls below poverty line0.105 (0.367)0.0622 (0.241)0.09 (0.286)
Household income is between 100% and 133% of poverty line0.0575 (0.233)0.0622 (0.241)0.0514 (0.221)
Household income is between 133% and 150% of poverty line0.0297 (0.170)0.0319 (0.176)0.0268 (0.161)
Household income is between 150% and 185% of poverty line0.0630 (0.243)0.0677 (0.251)0.0571 (0.232)
Household income is between 185% and 200% of poverty line0.0344 (0.182)0.0357 (0.185)0.0328 (0.178)
Household income is between 200% and 300% of poverty line0.180 (0.384)0.182 (0.386)0.178 (0.383)
Household income is between 300% and 400% of poverty line0.161 (0.367)0.157 (0.364)0.166 (0.372)
School lunch program participation0.218 (0.413)0.256 (0.437)0.169 (0.376)
Child born in US0.945 (0.229)0.945 (0.227)0.941 (0.236)
MSA0.484 (0.499)0.488 (0.499)0.473 (0.499)
Region:
 West0.246 (0.431)0.249 (0.432)0.243 (0.428)
 Northeast0.179 (0.384)0.184 (0.388)0.173 (0.378)
 Midwest0.239 (0.427)0.228 (0.420)0.254 (0.435)
Gender:
 Male0.515 (0.499)0.512 (0.499)0.519 (0.499)
 Child’s age12.782 (2.853)10.62 (1.711)15.539 (1.114)
PE mandate, grades 3–8 (0-1)0.689 (0.463)0.766
PE mandate, high school (0–4)0.907 (0.938)0.905 (0.939)
Interactions:
 Accountability index * (PE mandate, grades 3–8), 0–31.105 (1.184)1.118 (1.185)
 Accountability index * (PE mandate, high school), 0–81.455 (1.897)1.439 (1.887)
 Carnoy-Loeb index * (PE mandate, grades 3–8), 0–52.0659 (2.007)2.087 (2.011)
 Carnoy-Loeb index * (PE mandate, high school), 0–162.656 (3.473)2.618 (3.439)
Sample size510182860322415

Notes: standard errors are in parentheses.