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Acculturation, Dietary Practices and Risk for Childhood Obesity in an Ethnically Heterogeneous Population of Latino School Children in the San Francisco Bay Area

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Abstract

Previous studies have found increased acculturation to the US lifestyle increases risk for obesity in Latinos. However, methodologies differ, and results in children are inconsistent. Moreover, previous studies have not evaluated risk factors within the heterogeneous US population. We recruited 144 self-identified Latino school children and their mother or father in grades 4–6 in San Francisco parochial schools and South San Francisco public schools using an information letter distributed to all students. Children and parents had weights, heights, demographic information, dietary patterns and lifestyle variables collected in English or Spanish through an interview format. A high percentage of our children were overweight [≥85th percentile body mass index (BMI)] (62.5%) and obese (≥95th percentile BMI) (45.2%). Correspondingly parents also had a high percentage of overweight (BMI ≥ 25 & <30) (40.8%) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30) (45.3%). Mexico was the country of origin for 62.2% of parents, and 26.6% were from Central or South America. In multivariate logistic analysis, speaking Spanish at home was an independent risk factor for obesity [odds ratio (OR) 2.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.28–6.86]. Eating breakfast daily (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.15–0.78) and consumption of tortas (a Mexican fast food sandwich) (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.21–1.00) were associated with decreased risk. In stratified analysis, significant differences in risk factors existed between Mexican origin versus Central/South American Latino children. The processes of acculturation likely impact eating and lifestyle practices differentially among Latino groups. Interventions should focus on ensuring that all children eat a nutritious breakfast and take into consideration ethnicity when working with Latino populations.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by grants from the University of California Institute for Mexico and the United States (UC MEXUS) through a UC MEXUS-CMHI Collaborative Research Grant and the NIH (Grants DK080825 (JW) and DK007762 (NS) and DK060617 (MH)).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, University of California, 500 Parnassus Ave, MU 4-East, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0136, USA

    Janet M. Wojcicki & Melvin B. Heyman

  2. Department of Population Studies, Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Tijuana, Mexico

    Norah Schwartz

  3. Department of Nutrition, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Tijuana, Mexico

    Arturo Jiménez-Cruz & Montserrat Bacardi-Gascon

Authors
  1. Janet M. Wojcicki
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  2. Norah Schwartz
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  3. Arturo Jiménez-Cruz
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  4. Montserrat Bacardi-Gascon
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  5. Melvin B. Heyman
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Correspondence to Janet M. Wojcicki.

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Wojcicki, J.M., Schwartz, N., Jiménez-Cruz, A. et al. Acculturation, Dietary Practices and Risk for Childhood Obesity in an Ethnically Heterogeneous Population of Latino School Children in the San Francisco Bay Area. J Immigrant Minority Health 14, 533–539 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-011-9553-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-011-9553-7

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