Migration as a determinant of childhood obesity in the United States and Latin America

Abstract

Summary International migration has economic and health implications. The acculturation process to the host country may be linked to childhood obesity. We use the Community Energy Balance (CEB) framework to analyze the relationship between migration and childhood obesity in Mexican households with international migrants. Using longitudinal data from the Mexican Family Life Survey (MxFLS), we examine how migrant networks affect childhood obesity in origin communities. We also review binational health programs that could be effective at tackling childhood obesity in migrant households from Mexico. Children embedded in migrant networks are at greater risk of developing overweight or obesity, suggesting a significant relationship between childhood obesity and international migration in Mexican households. Based on our search criteria, our analysis of health outreach programs shows that Ventanillas de Salud (VDS)/Health Windows has great promise to prevent childhood obesity in a culturally sensitive and trustful environment. The CEB framework is useful to understand how migration contributes to the risk of childhood overweight and obesity in migrant households. VDS is a feasible and replicable strategy with great potential to address childhood obesity among migrant families accounting for the dynamic and binational determinants of childhood obesity.

Measurement challenges for childhood obesity research within and between Latin America and the United States

“…At‐risk populations involve residents of specific countries, but also immigrants and families or children who move back and forth between different places, within and between countries. 166 Such movements create challenges in measuring environments, attitudes, behaviors and how they interact in different settings. Additional dialog, more work and conceivably further workshops are needed to establish a consistent body of practice to address these mobile populations.…”

Childhood obesity prevention across borders: The promise of U.S.–Latin American research collaboration

“… 12 Based on the social ecological framework, which nests individual behaviors (e.g., diet and physical activity) in various environments, 13 CEBF highlights the additional influences of social injustice, culture, and migration processes on each environment. Many of the articles throughout this special series, including built environment, 14 food environment, 15 social environment, 16 and migration 17 dive into a particular layer of the CEBF to understand the contextual influences that define the problem, the current research landscape, and the opportunities for cross border learning.…”

“…Hence, papers included in this supplement strongly highlight the need to understand risk factors for unhealthy diets and physical inactivity risk factors, taking into account the social determinants of health when designing policies. 16 , 26 , 27 As the CEBF emphasizes, this approach is needed to develop effective and equitable policies and programs that consider social injustice, historical trauma, and structural racism. 12 The articles in this supplement collectively show that even though there is an increasing recognition of the need to improve equity in policies and interventions to address childhood obesity, this is still the exception rather than the rule in both Latin American countries and among Latino and other ethnic/racial communities in the United States.…”

“…The effect of migration on the risk of childhood obesity is explicitly addressed in‐depth in one article, 27 though the implications related to acculturation were included in others. 18 The migration article clearly shows the importance of interdisciplinary mixed methods research in the context of complex systems frameworks.…”

“… 18 The migration article clearly shows the importance of interdisciplinary mixed methods research in the context of complex systems frameworks. 17 The massive number of migrants within and across countries is unparalleled in human history and, as a result of huge economic inequities, climate change, civil conflicts, and other humanitarian emergencies, will continue to grow. As the migration paper shows, to improve acculturation frameworks and methods, a better understanding of how the process of exposure to new cultures affects dietary and physical activity behaviors, and at the end of the day the risk of childhood obesity, is critical.…”