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Low Income, Mexican Mothers’ Perception of Their Infants’ Weight Status and Beliefs About Their Foods and Physical Activity

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Abstract

Childhood obesity is being considered a global health epidemic, and one of the countries mostly affected by it is Mexico. The aim of this study was to assess the perceptions of low-income mothers with regard to their child’s weight status and physical activity and their beliefs about healthy and high-density foods. A total of 813 mothers attending a vaccination centre at three primary care clinics in three different regions of Mexico, and their infants ranging from 5 to 24 months old, participated in the study. Anthropometrical measurements and interviews were conducted at the clinic. The child’s average age was 12.7 months. Forty-three percent of mothers underestimate their child’s weight status; this percentage jumps to 83% when we refer to mothers of overweight and obese children. Mothers with overweight and obese children, having a monthly income higher than 600 dollars, less than 6 years of education, and having migrated to their current state of residence are more likely to underestimate their child’s weight. A high percentage of the mothers wish their children were less active, and they do not consider that carbonated and non-carbonated sweetened drinks and high fat snacks might be dangerous to their child’s health. In conclusion, low-income, Mexican mothers highly underestimate their infant’s weight status and have higher risks of fostering an obesogenic environment.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Martha Rivera-Grimaldo for her assistance and editing of the manuscript. A special thank you is extended to the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Universidad Autonoma de Chiapas and the Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas for their support in making this study possible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nutrition Graduate Program, Medical and Psychology School, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Tijuana, B.C., México

    Arturo Jimenez-Cruz, Montserrat Bacardi-Gascon & Alexandra Pichardo-Osuna

  2. Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria Reynosa-Aztlán, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Victoria, Tamaulipas, México

    Octelina Castillo-Ruiz

  3. Medical School, Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, México

    Zally Mandujano-Trujillo

  4. Unidad Universitaria. Calzada Tecnológico, 14418 Mesa de Otay, 22390, Tijuana, B.C., México

    Arturo Jimenez-Cruz

Authors
  1. Arturo Jimenez-Cruz
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  2. Montserrat Bacardi-Gascon
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  3. Octelina Castillo-Ruiz
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  4. Zally Mandujano-Trujillo
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  5. Alexandra Pichardo-Osuna
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Arturo Jimenez-Cruz.

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All the authors participated in the design and analysis of the project, the interpretation of the results, and the writing of the paper.

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Jimenez-Cruz, A., Bacardi-Gascon, M., Castillo-Ruiz, O. et al. Low Income, Mexican Mothers’ Perception of Their Infants’ Weight Status and Beliefs About Their Foods and Physical Activity. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 41, 490–500 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-010-0183-4

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