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.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, Lamb MM, Flegal KM. Prevalence of high body mass index in US children and adolescents 2007–2008. JAMA. 2010;303(3):242–9. [Epub 2010 Jan 13].
Abraído-Lanza AF, Chao MT, Flórez K. Do healthy behaviors decline with greater acculturation?: Implications for the Latino mortality paradox. Soc Sci Med. 2005;61:1243–55.
Popkin BM, Udry JR. Adolescent obesity increases significantly in second, third generation US immigrants: the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Helath. J Nutr. 1998;128(4):701–6.
Kaplan MS, Huguet N, Newsom JT, McFarland BH. The association between length of residence and obesity among Hispanic immigrants. Am J Prev Med. 2004;27(4):323–6.
Goel MS, Wee CC, McCarthy EP, Davis RB, Ngo-Metzger Q, Phillips RS. Racial and ethnic disparities in cancer screening; the importance of foreign birth as a barrier to care. J Gen Intern Med. 2003;18(12):1028–35.
Barcenas CH, Wilkinson AV, Strom SS, Cao Y, Saunders KC, Mahabir S, Hernández-Valero MA, Forman MR, Spitz MR, Bondy ML. Birthplace, years of residence in the United States, and obesity among Mexican-American adults. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2007;15(4):1043–52.
Sussner KM, Lindsay AC, Peterson KE. The influence of maternal acculturation on child body mass index at age 24 months. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109(2):218–25.
Fuentes-Afflick E, Hessol NA. Overweight in young Latino children. Arch Med Res. 2008;39(5):511–8.
Cuellar I, Arnold B, Maldonado R. Acculturation rating scale for Mexican Amerians-II. A revision of the original ARSMA scale. Hispn J Behav Sci. 1995;917:275–304.
Elder JP, Aaredondo EM, Campbell N, Baquero B, Duerksen S, Ayala G, Crespo NC, Slymen D, Mckenzie T. Individual, family, and community environmental correlates of obesity in Latino elementary school children. J Sch Health. 2010;80(1):20–30.
Hernández-Valero MA, Wilkinson AV, Forman MR, Etzel CJ, Cao Y, Bárcenas CH, Strom SS, Spitz MR, Bondy ML. Maternal BMI and country of birth as indicators of childhood obesity in children of Mexican origin. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2007;15(10):2512–9.
Ariza AJ, Chen EH, Binns HJ, Christoffel KK. Risk factors for overweight in five- to six-year-old Hispanic-American children: a pilot study. J Urban Health. 2004;81(1):150–61.
National Center for Health Statistics. CDC Growth Charts, United States. Atlanta, GA: NCHS, 2000.
Fernandez JR, Redden DT, Pietrobelli A, Allison DB. Waist circumference percentiles in nationally representative samples of African-American, European-American, and Mexican-American Children and Adolescents. J Pediatr. 2004;145:439.
Jimenez-Cruz A, Wojcicki JM, Bacardi-Gascon M, Castellon-Zaragoza A, Garcia-Gallardo JL, Schwartz N, Heyman MB. Maternal BMI and migration status as predictors of childhood overweight and hunger in Mexico. Nutr Hosp. 2011;26(1):201–7.
Jimenez-Cruz A, Bacardi-Gascon M, Jones E. Consumption of fruits, vegetables, soft drinks, and high-fat-containing snacks among Mexican children on the Mexico-US border. Arch Med Res. 2002;33:74–80.
Cohen S, Kamarck T, Mermelstein R. A global measure of perceived stress. J Health Soc Behav. 1983;24:385–96.
Wehler CA, Scott RI, Anderson JJ. The Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project: A Survey of Childhood Hunger in the United States. Washington: Food Research Action Center; 1996.
Seth JG, Evans AE, Harris KK, Loyo JJ, Ray TC, Spaulding C, Gottlieb NH. Preschool feeding practices and beliefs. Fam Community Health. 2007;30(3):257–70.
Guendelman S, Fernald LC, Neufeld LM, Fuentes-Afflick E. Maternal perceptions of early childhood ideal body weight differ among Mexican-origin mother residing in Mexico compared to California. J Am Diet Assoc. 2010;110(2):222–9.
Jimenez Cruz A, Bacardi Gascon M, Pichardo Osuna A, Mandujano-Trujillo Z, Castillo-Ruiz O. Infant and Toddlers’ feeding practices and obesity amongst low-income families in Mexico. Asian Pac J Clin Nutr. 2010;19(3):316–23.
Ayala GX, Baquero B, Klinger S. A systematic review of the relationship between acculturation and diet among Latinos in the United States: implications for future research. J Am Diet Assoc. 2008;108(8):1330–44.
Bowie JV, Juon HS, Cho J, Rodriguez EM. Factors associated with overweight and obesity among Mexican Americans and Central Americans: results from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey. Prev Chronic Dis. 2007;4(1):A10. [Epub 2006 Dec 15].
Deshmukh-Taskar PR, Nicklas TA, O’Neil CE, Keast DR, Radcliffe JD, Cho S. The relationship of breakfast skipping and type of breakfast consumption with nutrient intake and weight status in children and adolescents: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1996–2006. J Am Diet Assoc. 2010;110(6):869–78.
MacFarlane A, Cleland V, Crawford D, Campbell K, Timperio A. Longitudinal examination of the family food environment and weight status among children. Int J Pediatr Obes. 2009;4(4):343–52.
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)).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
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
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-011-9553-7