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The aim of this study was to quantitate the relative impact of nutritional, intellectual, brain development, cardiovascular risk, socio-economic, demographic and educational variables on the results of the 2009 Quality Education Measurement System (SIMCE) tests of language and mathematics for scholastic achievement (SA) applying a multifactorial approach, in school-age children of the 2010 5th elementary school grade (5ESG) and of the 1st grade of high school (1HSG). The purposes were: i) to test the hypothesis that intellectual ability, the level of SA of the educational establishments in the 2009 SIMCE tests, sex, parental schooling levels, and head circumference-for-age Z-score are the most relevant parameters associated with 2009 SIMCE outcomes; ii) to determine the predictive ability of the 2009 SIMCE results in determining the 2013 SIMCE outcomes for the 2010 5ESG cohort (when they graduated from elementary school, 8th grade) and for determining the 2013 University Selection Test (PSU) outcomes for the 2010 1HSG group (for university admission, when they graduated from high school, 4th grade); iii) to determine the association between the 2009 SIMCE results with the 2017 PSU outcomes for the 2010 5ESG group (for university admission, when they graduated from high school, 4th grade). A representative, proportional and stratified sample of 33 schools of the Metropolitan Region of Chile was randomly chosen. In these schools, 1,353 school-age children of both sexes, of the 2010 5ESG (n = 682; mean age = 10.8 years, SD = 0.6) and of the 2010 1HSG (n = 671; mean age = 14.8 years, SD = 0.6) participated. In both grades and tests, the findings confirm the hypotheses formulated. 2009 SIMCE outcomes were positively and significantly associated with 2013 SIMCE and with 2017 PSU and, with 2013 PSU outcomes in school-age children from 2010 5ESG and 1HSG, respectively. These findings may be useful for educational and health planning in Chile and countries in a comparable stage of development.

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OBJECTIVES: Scholastic achievement (SA) is a multifactorial problem that depends on factors related to the child, the child's family, and the educational system. The aim of this study was to quantify the relative impact of significant variables at the beginning of high school during 2010 (first grade of high school [1 HSG]) on 2013 university selection test (Prueba de Seleccion Universitaria [PSU]) outcomes, both in language scholastic achievement (LSA) and mathematics scholastic achievement (MSA), when students graduated from high school (4 HSG). This was done at the time of university admission with a multicausal approach. The purpose was to confirm the hypothesis that the level of educational establishment SA, intellectual ability, sex, parental schooling levels, and head circumference for age Z-score at the onset of high school are the most relevant parameters associated with 2013 PSU outcomes, both in LSA and MSA. METHODS: A representative, proportional, and stratified sample of 671 children of both sexes who enrolled in 1 HSG in 2010 (mean age: 14.8 ± 0.6 y) participated in the study. Nutritional, intellectual, brain developmental, cardiovascular risk, socio-to-economic, demographic, and educational variables were quantitated. SA was assessed at 4 HSG with the 2013 PSU tests. Data were analyzed with SAS software. RESULTS: Educational establishment SA, intellectual ability, maternal schooling, and age Z-score were the most relevant parameters to explain LSA (R2 = 0.493; P < 0.0001) and MSA variance in addition to sex (male), but only in MSA (R2 = 0.600; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm the hypothesis and can be useful to support nutritional, health, and educational planning.

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OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the association between overnutrition and scholastic achievement (SA). METHODS: A representative and proportional sample of 477 children of the 5th elementary school grade of both genders was randomly chosen during 2010, in the Metropolitan Region of Chile. SA was measured through the 2009 Education Quality Measurement System (SIMCE) tests of language (LSA), mathematics (MSA) and understanding of the natural environment (UNESA). Current nutritional status was assessed through the body mass index Z-score (Z-BMI). Nutritional quality of diet, schedule exercise, socioeconomic status, family, and educational variables were also recorded. Four and 8 years later, SA was assessed through the 2013 SIMCE and the University Selection Test (2017 PSU), respectively. RESULTS: Socioeconomic status, the number of repeated school years, and maternal schooling were strong predictors of 2009 SIMCE and the independent variables with the greatest explanatory power for LSA (Model R2 = 0.178; p < 0.00001) variances, besides of gender for MSA (Model R2 = 0.205; p< 0.00001) and UNESA (Model R2 = 0.272; p < 0.00001). Overnourished children did not have significantly lower 2009 and 2013 SIMCE and 2017 PSU outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm that overnourished children did not achieve significantly lower SA.

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BACKGROUND: Head circumference (HC), the anthropometric index of both brain development and nutritional background, has been described to be significantly associated with scholastic achievement (SA). The aim of this study was to determine the impact of nutritional background and current nutritional status parameters on SA in the Education Quality Measurement System (SIMCE) tests. METHODS: A representative sample of 33 schools was randomly chosen in the Metropolitan Region of Chile. The sample consisted of 1,353 school-aged children of both sexes, from the fifth grade of elementary school and from the first grade of high school who in 2009 took the SIMCE tests. Nutritional status was assessed through anthropometric parameters. Brain development was measured through the HC expressed as HC-for-age Z-score (Z-HC). RESULTS: Students with Z-HC < -2 SD and >2 SD obtained low and high SA, respectively, both in the language and the mathematics tests (P < 0.001). In general, in both grades, those students with Z-HC ≥ 0 SD increase more than double the probability to obtain language and mathematics SA scores ≥ the median (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: We confirm the hypothesis that HC is the most relevant physical index associated with SA; therefore, children with the lowest scores in the SIMCE tests probably have lower brain development.

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OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between somatotype and intellectual ability (IA) in 11-12 and 15-16 year-old students (n = 1,015) in the Chile's Metropolitan Region from a representative sample of 33 educational establishments chosen at random. METHODS: The Heath-Carter somatotype and the IA assessed through the Raven Progressive Matrices Test were measured. RESULTS: The endomorph was observed in 59% of the students; 28% had a mesomorph and 13% ectomorph. The IA was distributed in: 11.2% Grade I, 26.8% Grade II, 41% Grade III, 17.6% Grade IV and 3.2% Grade V. A positive and significant correlation of IA with the endomorphic component (r = 0.074, p = 0.02) was found in the total sample and only in females (r = 0.109, p = 0.02); at the same time, a positive and significant correlation with the ectomorph component was also observed (r = 0.067, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This suggests that other variables would influence more strongly the IA for which further research is needed to quantitate this multifactorial problem.

Objetivos: El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la relación entre el somatotipo y la habilidad intelectual (HA) en estudiantes de 11-12 y 15-16 años de edad de la Región Metropolitana, Chile. Métodos: Se registró una muestra representativa de 1.015 escolares de acuerdo a los resultados del sistema de medición de la calidad de la educación (SIMCE) 2009. Se evaluó el somatotipo de Heath-Carter y la HA de acuerdo al Test de Matrices Progresivas de Raven. Resultados: Un 59% presentó un somatotipo endomórfico, 28% mesomórfico y 13% ectomorfo. La HA se distribuyó en: 11,2% Grado I, 26,8% Grado II, 41% Grado III, 17,6% Grado IV y 3,2% Grado V. Se presenta una correlación significativa positiva con el componente endomórfico (r = 0,074 p = 0,02), y sólo en mujeres (r = 0,109 p = 0,02), a la vez se observa una relación significativa positiva con el componente ectomorfo (r = 0,067 p < 0,05). Conclusiones: Esto sugiere que otras variables estarían influyendo más fuertemente en la HA, además de apoyar la no discriminación por biotipo en los establecimientos educacionales.

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