Study: NC Children In Rural Counties, High-Poverty Schools Face Obesity Risk

A new study says that North Carolina children who live in rural counties or attend high-poverty schools are more likely to be obese.

The Duke University study was published this week in the Journal of School Health.

Researchers tracked Body Mass Index data from 317 urban and rural schools.

They concluded that obesity was more likely in rural counties and in high-poverty school districts. Race was ruled out as a contributing factor.

Overall, 20 percent of the students in the study were obese, a somewhat higher rate than among their peers nationally.

Joy Piontak is a co-author of the study. She says that public school initiatives could hold the key to lowering obesity rates.

Piontak suggests looking at the food and types of physical opportunities available in schools.