odbc_result echos data instead of saving it to variable

Question

I have some code which uses odbc calls. I've had no problem with the pulling data from a MS SQL database until this bit of code. Instead of saving the string to a variable it outputs the string and saves an int 1 to the variable instead.

below is the relevant code:

$qry = 'SELECT * FROM cst_AdEssayDetails_vw WHERE AdEnrollSchedID = ?';
$essay = odbc_prepare($conn,$qry);
if(odbc_execute($essay,array($AdEnrollSchedID))){
    if (odbc_num_rows($essay)>0){
        while (odbc_fetch_row($essay)){
            $setTopic = odbc_result($essay,'setTopic');
            $essay_active = odbc_result($essay,'active');
            $essay_date = date("m-d-y", strtotime(odbc_result($essay,'StartDate')));
            $essayID = odbc_result($essay,'EssayID');
            $EnrollSchedID = odbc_result($essay,'AdEnrollSchedID');
            $intro = odbc_result($essay,'intro');
            $support = odbc_result($essay,'support');
            $conclusion = odbc_result($essay,'conclusion');
            $essay_comment = odbc_result($essay,'comment');
            $submitted = odbc_result($essay,'submitted');
            $dateSubmitted = date("m-d-y", strtotime(odbc_result($essay,'dateSubmitted')));
            $essay_grade = odbc_result($essay,'grade');
            $AdStudentEssayID = odbc_result($essay,'AdStudentEssayID');
            $topic = odbc_result($essay,'topic');
            echo '<intro1>'.$intro.'</intro1>';
            echo '<intro_len>'.strlen($intro).'</intro_len>';
            if (1 > strlen($essay_comment)){
                $essay_comment = ' ';
            } else {
                $essay_comment = urlencode($essay_comment);
            }
            if (1 > strlen($essay_grade)) {
                $essay_grade = ' ';
            }
            if (2 < strlen($topic)){
                $topic = urlencode($topic);
            } else {
                $topic = ' ';
            }
            if (2 < strlen($intro)){
                $intro = urlencode($intro);
            } else {
                $intro = ' ';
            }
            if (2 < strlen($support)){
                $support = urlencode($support);
            } else {
                $support = ' ';
            }
            if (2 < strlen($conclusion)){
                $conclusion = urlencode($conclusion);
            } else {
                $conclusion = ' ';
            }
            echo '<setTopic>'.$setTopic.'</setTopic>';
            echo '<essay_active>'.$essay_active.'</essay_active>';
            echo '<essay_date>'.$essay_date.'</essay_date>';
            echo '<essayID>'.$essayID.'</essayID>';
            echo '<topic>'.$topic.'</topic>';
            echo '<intro>'.$intro.'</intro>';
            echo '<support>'.$support.'</support>';
            echo '<conclusion>'.$conclusion.'</conclusion>';
            echo '<essay_comment>'.$essay_comment.'</essay_comment>';
            echo '<submitted>'.$submitted.'</submitted>';
            echo '<dateSubmitted>'.$dateSubmitted.'</dateSubmitted>';
            echo '<essay_grade>'.$essay_grade.'</essay_grade>';
            echo '<AdStudentEssayID>'.$AdStudentEssayID.'</AdStudentEssayID>';
        }
    } else {

The output I get from this is:

'Test Introduction Paragraph
Test Supporting Paragraph
2nd test supporting paragraph
Test Conclusion Paragraph
Test Essay Topic
<intro1>1</intro1>
<intro_len>1</intro_len>
<setTopic>%3Cp%3ETest%20Topic%3C%2Fp%3E</setTopic>
<essay_active>1</essay_active>
<essay_date>01-01-70</essay_date>
<essayID>29</essayID>
<topic></topic>
<intro></intro>
<support></support>
<conclusion></conclusion>
<essay_comment>1</essay_comment>
<submitted>1</submitted>
<dateSubmitted>07-11-16</dateSubmitted>
<essay_grade></essay_grade>
<AdStudentEssayID>59</AdStudentEssayID>'

The output I expect is:

'<intro1>Test Introduction Paragraph</intro1>
<intro_len>1</intro_len>
<setTopic>%3Cp%3ETest%20Topic%3C%2Fp%3E</setTopic>
<essay_active>1</essay_active>
<essay_date>01-01-70</essay_date>
<essayID>29</essayID>
<topic>Test Essay Topic</topic>
<intro>Test Introduction Paragraph</intro>
<support>Test Supporting Paragraph  2nd test supporting paragraph</support>
<conclusion>Test Conclusion Paragraph</conclusion>
<essay_comment>1</essay_comment>
<submitted>1</submitted>
<dateSubmitted>07-11-16</dateSubmitted>
<essay_grade></essay_grade>
<AdStudentEssayID>59</AdStudentEssayID>'

So the question is, Why is it doing this? Why does it output 'intro','support','conclusion', and 'topic' instead of saving them to the variable?