Independent contribution of parental migrant status and educational level to adiposity and eating habits in preschool children

Abstract

Background/Objective: Little is known about the precise role of parental migrant status (MS) and educational level (EL) on adiposity and various eating habits in young children. Therefore, we assessed their independent contribution in preschoolers. Subjects/Methods: Of 655 randomly selected preschoolers, 542 (5.1 ± 0.6 years; 71% of parental MS and 37% of low parental EL) were analysed. Body composition was measured by bioelectrical impedance. Eating habits were assessed using a semiqualitative food frequency questionnaire and analysed according to five messages developed by the Swiss Society for Nutrition, based on factors implicated in childhood obesity: (1) 'Drinking water and decreasing sweetened drinks', (2) 'Eating fruit and vegetables', (3) 'Decreasing breakfast skipping', (4) 'Reducing fatty and sweet foods' and (5) 'Reducing the intake of meals and snacks in front of television'. Results: Children of migrant and low EL parents had higher body fat, ate more meals and snacks while watching television and had more fruit and fatty foods compared with their respective counterparts (all Pp0.04). Children of low EL parents also consumed less water and vegetables compared with their counterparts (all Pp0.04). In most instances, we found an independent contribution of parental MS and EL to adiposity and eating habits. A more pronounced effect was found if both parents were migrants or of low EL. Differences in adiposity and eating habits were relatively similar to the joint parental data when assessed individually for maternal and paternal MS and EL. Conclusions: Parental MS and EL are independently related to adiposity and various eating habits in preschoolers.

Risk factors of overweight and obesity among preschool children with different ethnic background

“…The other two risk factors with a significant association with children's BMI were the mother's and father's BMI. According to Ebenegger et al [27], certain maternal factors, such as maternal obesity, are associated with severe kindergarten obesity. In our study, weight disorders were higher among Immigrants, both children and parents.…”

“…As parents are mainly responsible for the purchase and preparation of food, low-income families tend to buy more energy-dense foods since they provide low-cost calories [27,36,54].…”

“…The children's MS was defined on the basis of the origin of their parents [27,46]. They were classified as Italians (N = 2,337) or Immigrants (N = 263), with the latter subdivided into the following groups: Other Europeans (45.2 %), Africans (27.4 %), and Others (27.4 %).…”

“…Many prospective studies have found a positive association between poor childhood dietary habits and body weight in later life [26,27]. A high BMI has been associated with an increased intake of high-calorie foods such as high-energy snacks, sweets, and sugary beverages [28,29].…”

An Evaluation of Mother-Centered Anticipatory Guidance to Reduce Obesogenic Infant Feeding Behaviors

“…12,13 Risk factors for childhood obesity suggest strategies for obesity prevention. These include parental overweight, 14,15 obesogenic parental eating, 16 high rates of television watching, [17][18][19] low family income 20,21 and education, 22,23 low intake of vegetables and fruit, and high intake of fast food and sweet drinks. 14,18,24 Anderson and Whitaker 25 recently found associations among 3 family habits (eating the evening meal together, adequate child sleep, and restriction of screen time) with lower rates of preschool obesity.…”