No association between anthropometry and IQ in Czech preschool children

Background: Previous research has suggested that body mass index (BMI) and body height are associated with intelligence quotient (IQ) in older children and adults. However, due to the limited number of studies in this age group, there is a lack of consensus on whether there are relationships between IQ and some anthropometric measures, including sex, among preschool-aged children. Objectives: This study aimed to assess whether there is a significant relationship between sex, BMI, height IQ, and subsets of IQ among preschool-aged children. Sample and Methods: 59 preschoolers aged 4.01 to 4.99 years were sampled from selected preschools in Prague. Data on sex, weight and height were collected, and IQ was assessed using the IDS-P. The data were processed using the St. Nicolas house analysis, t-tests and multiple regression. Results: Multiple Regression Analysis and St. Nicolas house analysis failed to show any significant relations between sex, BMI, height, and IQ subtests score (p>0.05). Conclusion: In this study, no significant associations were found between sex, BMI, height, and IQ in preschool-aged children. The relationships among sex, BMI, height, and IQ are more complex. For a better understanding, it is therefore essential to have larger sample sizes and to understand these interactions within context and with other confounding social-economic-political-emotional l (SEPE) variables, as suggested in previous studies.

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