Analysis of body composition and violence in Primary School children

Abstract

The increase in interpersonal violence behaviors in childhood and adolescence has generated the need to study all the factors that may be determinant. Therefore, the objective was to analyze the relationship between body composition and patterns of violence between equals. A study was developed in 214 Spanish schoolchildren, aged 8-12 years. Anthropometric variables were measured and interpersonal violence was evaluated with the Daily School Violence Questionnaire. The inferential analysis showed the correlation between weight and height with the Observed Violence dimension (p = 0.038, p = 0.001, respectively). No differences were detected in relation to the state of weight (underweight-normal weight vs. overweight-obesity) in the dimensions of Violence suffered and Violence observed. The results suggest a weak correlation between weight and height with interpersonal violence. More evident is the absence of differences between weight status and interpersonal violence.