395 - Short-term Memory and Body Mass Index in Children Aged 6-11 Years in an Urban Multiethnic Community Hospital

Obesity in children and adolescents has reached epidemic levels. Prevalence of obesity among 6-11 year old children is 20.7%. Obesity is a BMI ≥95^th percentile and overweight is a BMI between 85-95^th percentiles for age and gender. There is data associating hypertension in early life with lower cognition in childhood and midlife. A study of obese Chinese children aged 10-13 years showed an association between obesity and poor academic performance due to poor working memory. Einstein Assessment of School Skills measures grade based auditory short-term memory. There are no studies correlating short-term memory and BMI in children in a multiethnic community hospital.

Objective: To explore short-term memory in normal, overweight and obese children in a multiethnic community hospital.

Design/Methods:

This was a study of children aged 6-11 years visiting Flushing Hospital Medical Center between October and December 2022. After obtaining consent and assent, demographics including age, gender, ethnicity, grade in school, BMI and blood pressure were collected before administering Einstein Assessment of School Skills grade based auditory short-term memory test. Participants were classified normal, overweight and obese according to BMI percentile for age and gender. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, chi-square, Fisher’s exact test and ANOVA, p< 0.05 will be considered significant.

Results: Of 63 participants, 62% were female with mean age 7.9+1.4 years. Ethnicities included Hispanic (90%) and Asian (10%) reflective of our community. The students tested were in the first half of academic year of grades 1-5 (14%, 30%, 23%, 17% and 16%). All had normal blood pressure (mean systolic 100.8+6.5 mmHg, mean diastolic 62.8+6.3 mmHg). Distribution included 51% normal BMI, 21% overweight and 27% obese. There was no significant difference between normal BMI (57%) and overweight/obese (47%) in failed auditory short-term memory test (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.34-2.48, p=1.0).

Conclusion(s): In our small sample, there was no correlation between higher BMI and poor auditory short-term memory in normotensive children. Continued research will be needed to include second half of academic year to determine pass rate in all BMI groups.