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New study connects QSR meal frequency to lower test scores

December 23, 2014

New research published in Clinical Pediatrics connects quick-service meal consumption frequency with lower test score progress.

According to a release from The Ohio State University, researchers measured how much students in fifth grade consumed fast food meals and followed their test score progress through eighth grade.

Those who ate more QSR meals had test scores that were about 20 percent lower than those who didn't eat any QSR food at all, according to lead author Kelly Purtell, an assistant professor at OSU.

The tests were measures specifically for reading, math and science.

Researchers also looked at exercise frequency, TV watching habits, other food consumption and socioeconomic status. The study looked at 11,740 students.

From the release:

Children who ate fast food four to six times per week or every day showed significantly lower gains in all three achievement areas compared to children who did not eat any fast food the week before the survey. However, children who ate fast food just one to three times a week had lower academic growth compared to non-eaters in only one subject, math.