Television Viewing in Low-Income Latino Children: Variation by Ethnic Subgroup and English Proficiency

Abstract

Background: Television viewing is associated with an increased risk for obesity in children. Latino children are at high risk for obesity and yet little is known about differences in television viewing habits within this population. The purpose of this study is to determine if hours of television viewed by young children with low-income Latina mothers differs by maternal ethnic subgroup and English language proficiency.Methods: This was a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Welfare, Children, & Families: A Three City Study. Participants were 422 low-income Latina mothers of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent with children ages 0-4 years old. The dependent variable was hours of daily television viewed by the child. The independent variable was maternal ethnic subgroup and English language proficiency. Analyses involved the use of multiple negative binomial regression models, which were adjusted for demographic variables.Results: Multivariable regression analyses showed that compared to children with mothers of Mexican descent, children of mothers of Puerto Rican descent watch more daily television (< 2 years old, incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 4.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.68, 10.42; 2-4 years, IRR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.06, 2.26). For children with mothers of Mexican descent, higher maternal English language proficiency was associated with higher amounts of child television viewing (IRR = 1.29, 95% CI 1.04, 1.61). No relationship was found for children of Puerto Rican descent.Conclusions: Child television viewing varies in low-income Latino children by maternal ethnic subgroup and English language proficiency. Interventionists must consider the varying sociocultural contexts of Latino children and their influence on television viewing.

Early Childhood Screen Time and Parental Attitudes Toward Child Television Viewing in a Low-Income Latino Population Attending the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children

“…Because this was a single-center study, there is limited generalizability to WIC overall, or to other low-income settings; however, the population studied was similar to other WIC clinics nationally. 20 Interestingly, the proportion of children meeting hourly screen time guidelines in our sample (45% of children age <2 and 58% of children ages 2-5) was somewhat higher than Oregon data from the 2007 NSCH (40% of children age <2, and 46% ages 2-5), 27 and was fairly similar to rates found in another recent national survey. 15 This suggests that the problem of screen time is widespread.…”

“…Likewise, few interventions addressing children's media exposure have targeted young children from low-income and racial minority populations. 23 Several studies have examined factors contributing to family media use in minorities, 6,21,[24][25][26][27][28] hourly screen time usage in low-income populations, 29 and adherence to AAP guidelines among children generally. 14 However, adherence to AAP screen time guidelines has not been previously investigated specifically among WIC participants, and no studies have investigated environmental factors, family habits, and parental correlates of guideline adherence in this population.…”

Maternal Beliefs and Parenting Practices Regarding Their Preschool Child’s Television Viewing

“…An evaluation of these findings in a more heterogeneous sample of Latinos would be valuable, given the growing evidence that viewing habits may vary between Latino subgroups. 14 The possibility of selection bias also exists, given that interviews occurred in participants' homes and some mothers may therefore not have been interested. Quantitative methods and longitudinal study designs are needed to further evaluate these findings, their prevalence in larger samples, and their relationship to important child outcomes, such as dietary patterns, obesity, and school performance.…”

Parenting and Preschooler TV Viewing in Low-Income Mexican Americans: Development of the Parenting Practices Regarding TV Viewing (PPRTV) Scale

“…14 Highlighting this need for adaptation are studies on child TV viewing that suggest the sociocultural context influences child viewing habits. 10,15 The development of culturally-appropriate measures of parenting practices regarding TV viewing are critical to the development of effective interventions on child TV viewing habits in Latino populations.…”

“…Because Latinos are not a homogenous population and viewing behaviors vary by country of origin, 15 this study focused on parenting practices in Mexican American families. We aimed to capture the variety of ways parents in this population socialize children regarding television viewing.…”