Objective: The present paper examines the influence of age and gender on food patterns of Latino children. Design: Data are from baseline of a 5-year, quasi-experimental obesity prevention study: Niños Sanos, Familia Sana (NSFS; Healthy Children, Healthy Families). In 2012, the researchers interviewed Latino parents, using a thirty-item questionnaire to ask about their children's food consumption and feeding practices. Statistical tests included t tests and ANCOVA. Setting: Rural communities in California's Central Valley, USA. Subjects: Two hundred and seventeen parents (87-89 % born in Mexico) and their children (aged 2-8 years). Results: Fifty-one per cent of the children were overweight or obese (≥85th percentile of BMI for age and gender). Mean BMI Z-scores were not significantly different in boys (1·10 (SD 1·07)) and girls (0·92 (SD 1·04); P = 0·12). In bivariate analysis, children aged 2-4 years consumed fast and convenience foods less often (P = 0·04) and WIC (Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children)-allowable foods more often than children aged 5-8 years (P = 0·01). In ANCOVA, neither age nor gender was significantly related to food patterns. Mother's acculturation level was positively related to children's consumption of fast and convenience foods (P = 0·0002) and negatively related to consumption of WIC foods (P = 0·01). Providing role modelling and structure in scheduling meals and snacks had a positive effect on the vegetable pattern (P = 0·0007), whereas meal skipping was associated with more frequent fast and convenience food consumption (P = 0·04). Conclusions: Acculturation and child feeding practices jointly influence food patterns in Latino immigrant children and indicate a need for interventions that maintain diet quality as children transition to school. Keywords Acculturation Food patterns Children Gender LatinoAccording to the FAO, obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m 2 ) occurs in 32·8 % of Mexican adults, an estimate exceeding that reported for many developed countries including the USA (31·8 %) (1) . When Mexican-Americans are compared with their counterparts in Mexico, a greater prevalence of obesity and overweight is observed in the USA (2)(3)(4) . As reported by a Mexican national study conducted in 2012, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Mexican 5-11-year-olds averages 34·4 %, with 36·9 % of boys and 32·0 % of girls at or above the 85th percentile of BMI (5) .Comparable US national studies from 2009-2010 report an overweight and obesity prevalence of 39·0 % among Mexican-American children aged 6-11 years, with 38·5 % of boys and 39·5 % of girls at or above the 85th BMI percentile (6) . A gender gap for Mexican-American children is apparent by adolescence (12-19 years), when 46 % of Mexican-American boys have BMI ≥ 85th percentile compared with 40 % of girls. This finding is largely due to more boys (28·9 %) than girls (18·6 %) having BMI ≥ 95th percentile for their age and gender. A smaller gender difference is seen among Mexican adolescents, with 14·5...
Latino children experience higher rates of obesity than do non-Latino white children. Family-centered nutrition interventions can slow the rate of weight gain in this population. Niños Sanos, Familia Sana (Healthy Children, Healthy Family) is a 5-year, community-based, participatory research study that targets rural Mexican-origin farmworker families with children aged 2 to 8 years in California’s Central Valley. Adaptation of a culturally relevant obesity prevention program involved qualitative research to tailor key obesity prevention messages, pilot testing and implementation of key messages and activities at family nights, and continual modification to incorporate culturally innovative elements. Of the 238 families enrolled, 53% (125) attended the recommended minimum of 5 (of 10 possible) classes during the first year. A university and community partnership can guide development of a culturally tailored obesity prevention program that is suitable for reaching a high-risk Mexican-origin audience through cooperative extension and other public health programs.
Background Obesity and overweight have increased dramatically in the United States over the last decades. The complexity of interrelated causal factors that result in obesity needs to be addressed within the cultural dynamic of sub-populations. In this study, we sought to estimate the effects of a multifaceted, community-based intervention on body mass index (BMI) among Mexican-heritage children. Methods Niños Sanos, Familia Sana (Healthy Children, Healthy Family) was a quasi-experimental intervention study designed to reduce the rate of BMI growth among Mexican-heritage children in California’s Central Valley. Two rural communities were matched based on demographic and environmental characteristics and were assigned as the intervention or comparison community. The three-year intervention included parent workshops on nutrition and physical activity; school-based nutrition lessons and enhanced physical education program for children; and a monthly voucher for fruits and vegetables. Eligible children were between 3 and 8 years old at baseline. Intent-to-treat analyses were estimated using linear mixed-effect models with random intercepts. We ran a series of models for each gender where predictors were fixed except interactions between age groups and obesity status at baseline with intervention to determine the magnitude of impact on BMI. Results At baseline, mean (SD) BMI z-score (zBMI) was 0.97 (0.98) in the intervention group ( n = 387) and 0.98 (1.02) in the comparison group ( n = 313) (NS). The intervention was significantly associated with log-transformed BMI (β = 0.04 (0.02), P = 0.03) and zBMI (β = 0.25 (0.12), P = 0.04) among boys and log-transformed BMI among obese girls (β = − 0.04 (0.02), P = 0.04). The intervention was significantly and inversely associated with BMI in obese boys and girls across all age groups and normal weight boys in the oldest group (over 6 years) relative to their counterparts in the comparison community. Conclusions A community-based, multifaceted intervention was effective at slowing the rate of BMI growth among Mexican-heritage children. Our findings suggest that practitioners should consider strategies that address gender disparities and work with a variety of stakeholders to target childhood obesity. Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01900613 . Registered 16th July 2013.
In California's central valley, childhood obesity rates are above the national average. The majority of families living in the rural, agricultural communities of this region are immigrant of Mexican heritage, and face numerous social and environmental challenges. Demographic and anthropometric data were collected from a population of Mexican-heritage children 3-8 years (N = 609) and families (N = 466) living in two central valley communities. Overall, 45 % of children and 82 % of mothers were classified as overweight or obese. Multivariable analyses indicated that mother's BMI and acculturation level were positively associated with child BMI z-score. Most children classified as overweight or obese (92 % and 53 %, respectively) were perceived as having 'normal' weight by their mothers. Childhood obesity remains a major public health issue in Mexican-heritage, central valley communities. Our model indicates that mother's BMI is predictor of child obesity, and parents tend to underestimate their child's weight status. These findings highlight a need for family-targeted and culturally-tailored approaches to address relevant perceptions of obesity and risk factors in these communities.
Background and purpose: Studies in adults and children have demonstrated a strong correlation of skin carotenoids with fruit and vegetable (F/V) intake. There are few studies testing the usefulness of this methodology in a community setting. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of resonance Raman spectroscopy (RRS) skin carotenoid intensity scores in young children to assess F/V intake. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used to capture the RRS skin carotenoid intensity scores using the Pharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner. The RRS skin carotenoid intensity score ranges from 0 to 70,000+ with increasing scores indicating a higher carotenoid concentration. Children's dietary intake of F/V was assessed within one-month period using a 26-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and multiple pass 24-hour dietary recalls (24HDRs) administered to the parent of the child. Participants were 51 Mexican-origin children (ages 3-8 years) living in two rural California school districts during July-August 2014. RRS skin carotenoid intensity scores; frequency of fruit and vegetable intake from FFQ; daily servings of fruit and vegetables and carotenoid intake from 24HDR. Spearman correlation was used to determine the correlation between RRS skin carotenoid intensity scores and average 24HDR F/V intake and FFQ F/V intake. Results: The results of the study demonstrate a significant positive correlation between skin carotenoid levels and parent-reported 24HDR vegetable consumption (r = .41, p = .003) but not with 24HDR fruit, FFQ fruit, or FFQ vegetable consumption. Conclusion: The use of skin carotenoid measurements may be more indicative of short-term vegetable consumption than overall fruit and vegetable or fruit-only consumption in this population of Mexican-origin children.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.