Weight Status and Dietary and Physical Activity Behavior Differences Between Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Children in the U.S.

Background: Hispanic children have a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States. Acculturation of Hispanics living in the U.S. affects dietary intake and physical activity, thus impacting weight status and health problems related to obesity. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in overweight/obesity and dietary and physical activity behaviors between Hispanic and non-Hispanic children living in the United States. Methods: Using the 2001-2002 Health Behaviors of School-Aged Children Questionnaire, 6th-10th grade student surveys (n=14,817) were analyzed to compare BMI, consumption of fruits, vegetables, and sugar-sweetened beverages, and levels of physical activity between Hispanic and non-Hispanic subjects. Independent t-test, Oneway ANOVA and Pearson’s Chi-Square provided statistical analysis for the descriptive and research variables. Results: Comparing Hispanic and non-Hispanic students, there was no difference in gender or age, but urbanicity, birth country, home language, and education of mother and father had significant differences between Hispanic and non-Hispanic students (p<0.01). The Hispanic sample had higher rates of overweight and obesity (p<0.001), consumed lower amounts of fruits (p<0.001) and vegetables (p<0.001), consumed higher amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages (p=0.001), and reported being less physically active (p<0.001) compared to non-Hispanic students. Conclusion: As evidenced by the 2001-2002 HBSC survey, Hispanic children are consuming less fruits and vegetables and more sugar-sweetened beverages, and have lower rates of physical activity compared to non-Hispanic children. This may be contributing to the higher rates of overweight and obesity found in this population. These results could be used in the development of childhood obesity interventions involving Hispanic children.

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Hispanic Maternal Perception of Preschoolers’ Bodyweight Status in Samples from the United States of America and Mexico

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzaa054_173 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 1101-1101

Author(s):

Summer Wilmoth ◽

Yolanda Flores-Peña ◽

Leah Carrillo ◽

Elana Martinez ◽

Erica Sosa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Childhood Obesity ◽

Obesity Prevention ◽

Weight Status ◽

The United States ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Actual Rate ◽

Actual Weight ◽

Hispanic Mothers ◽

The Us

Abstract Objectives Childhood obesity is a major public health concern, which disproportionally affects Hispanic children in the United States (US) and Mexico. Mothers are key influencers to their children's health and growth. As part of a pilot obesity prevention study, Hispanic mothers’ perception of their preschoolers’ weight status was assessed to inform the development of intervention strategies. Methods Study subjects were Hispanic mothers and their preschoolers between the ages of 3 and 5 enrolled in participating Head Star Centers in Texas, US or kindergartens in Northern Mexico. Upon informed consent, mothers completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing their perception of their preschoolers’ weight status. Preschoolers’ body weight and height were measured; and their actual weight status was classified using the CDC's age and gender specific BMI references. Results Preliminary data included 85 and 294 child-mother pairs from US and Mexico, respectively. The US sample had a higher rate of overweight and obesity (35%) in comparison to the Mexico sample (19%). There was a great discrepancy between mothers’ perception and their children's actual weight status in both samples. Although only approximately 5% of children were underweight, 14% of American and 24% of Mexican mothers perceived their children being underweight. Contrarily, only 4.8% of American mothers perceived their children as a little overweight or obese, as compared to the actual rate of 35%. Similarly, only 5% of Mexican mothers perceived their children as a little overweight or obese, as compared to the actual rate of 19%. Conclusions Hispanic mothers in the US and Mexico appear to worry about their normal weight children being underweight, while overlooking the overweight and obesity problem. Early childhood obesity prevention programming is needed to aggressively address Hispanic mothers’ preference of chubby children, and the mothers’ underestimation of overweight and obesity among their preschoolers. Funding Sources The Mexico's National Science and Technology Council & The Kellogg´s Institute of Nutrition and Health.

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Should We Put a Thin Subsidy on the Policy Table in the Fight against Obesity?

Forum for Health Economics & Policy ◽

10.2202/1558-9544.1235 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Grace Lordan ◽

John Quiggin

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

The United States ◽

Soft Drinks ◽

Economic Effects ◽

Sugar Sweetened Beverages ◽

President Obama ◽

Sweetened Beverages ◽

The Relationship ◽

Artificially Sweetened Beverages

The idea of using 'fat taxes’ to curb obesity rates has been raised by many. In particular, the idea of taxing sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has received considerable attention in the United States and has recently been discussed by President Obama. Rather less attention has been given to the alternative of 'thin subsidies’, that is, subsidies for the consumption of foods or beverages likely to be associated with reduced incidence of obesity. This commentary examines the case for a subsidy for artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) or 'diet soft drinks’. In this commentary, we outline the evidence on the relationship between health outcomes, most notably obesity, and the consumption of SSBs and ASBs. In the light of the evidence we consider the economic effects of taxing SSBs, and the way in which those effects would be modified by the adoption of the alternative 'thin subsidy’ based on subsidising ASBs.

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Mass Media Campaign to Reduce Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in a Rural Area of the United States

American Journal of Public Health ◽

10.2105/ajph.2017.303750 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 107 (6) ◽

pp. 989-995 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Thomas A. Farley ◽

Hayli S. Halper ◽

Anne M. Carlin ◽

Karen M. Emmerson ◽

Kelly N. Foster ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Mass Media ◽

Rural Area ◽

The United States ◽

Mass Media Campaign ◽

Media Campaign ◽

Sugar Sweetened Beverages ◽

Sweetened Beverages

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Chronic Disease, the Built Environment, and Unequal Health Risks in the 500 Largest U.S. Cities

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17082961 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (8) ◽

pp. 2961

Author(s):

Kevin M. Fitzpatrick ◽

Don Willis

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Chronic Disease ◽

Built Environment ◽

Weight Status ◽

Housing Stock ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Census Tracts ◽

Cardiometabolic Diseases ◽

The U.S

Health is increasingly subject to the complex interplay between the built environment, population composition, and the structured inequity in access to health-related resources across communities. The primary objective of this paper was to examine cardiometabolic disease (diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, stroke) markers and their prevalence across relatively small geographic units in the 500 largest cities in the United States. Using data from the American Community Survey and the 500 Cities Project, the current study examined cardiometabolic diseases across 27,000+ census tracts in the 500 largest cities in the United States. Earlier works clearly show cardiometabolic diseases are not randomly distributed across the geography of the U.S., but rather concentrated primarily in Southern and Eastern regions of the U.S. Our results confirm that chronic disease is correlated with social and built environment factors. Specifically, racial concentration (%, Black), age concentration (% 65+), housing stock age, median home value, structural inequality (Gini index), and weight status (% overweight/obese) were consistent correlates (p < 0.01) of cardiometabolic diseases in the sample of census tracts. The paper examines policy-related features of the built and social environment and how they might play a role in shaping the health and well-being of America’s metropolises.

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Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Blood Pressure in the United States: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2006

Clinical Nutrition Research ◽

10.7762/cnr.2012.1.1.85 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 85 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Young Ha Kim ◽

Grace P. Abris ◽

Mi-Kyung Sung ◽

Jung Eun Lee

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Blood Pressure ◽

National Health ◽

The United States ◽

Nutrition Examination Survey ◽

Sugar Sweetened Beverages ◽

Sweetened Beverages ◽

Health And Nutrition

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Consumption Patterns of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in the United States

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics ◽

10.1016/j.jand.2012.09.016 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 113 (1) ◽

pp. 43-53 ◽

Cited By ~ 344

Author(s):

Euna Han ◽

Lisa M. Powell

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

The United States ◽

Consumption Patterns ◽

Sugar Sweetened Beverages ◽

Sweetened Beverages

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Applying Ecological Frameworks in Obesity Intervention Studies in Hispanic/Latino Youth:

Hispanic Health Care International ◽

10.1177/1540415317731069 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 15 (3) ◽

pp. 130-142 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Carmen Kiraly ◽

Melanie T. Turk ◽

Melissa A. Kalarchian ◽

Cheryl Shaffer

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Intervention Studies ◽

Vegetable Consumption ◽

Latino Youth ◽

The United States ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Vulnerable Population ◽

Ecological Framework ◽

Hispanic Children ◽

Holistic View

Introduction: In the United States, Hispanic children have higher rates of obesity compared with non-Hispanic White children. An ecological framework provides a holistic view of the environment to which Hispanic/Latino children are exposed that can potentially inform prevention and treatment initiatives for this vulnerable population. Method: This systematic review examines the existing evidence on the use of an ecological framework in intervention studies targeting overweight and obesity in Hispanic youth from birth to 8 years. Key terms guided the search of PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, and EBSCOhost databases from 1997 to 2016. Results were organized using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) method. Results: Seven studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Significant improvements in body mass index z scores in treatment children were evident in five of the seven studies. Increases in fruit, water, and vegetable consumption and physical activity levels were reported in four of the seven studies. Conclusion: Multilevel interventions targeting a child’s home and community suggest efficacy in reducing or preventing obesity; increasing fruit, water, and vegetable consumption; and increasing physical activity in overweight/obese young Hispanic children. Future research is needed to explore the sustainability of multilevel obesity prevention interventions in this vulnerable population.

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Alcohol Use as a Function of Physical Activity and Golfing Motives in a National Sample of United States Golfers

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13061856 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 1856

Author(s):

Jimikaye Courtney ◽

Eric Handley ◽

Sherry Pagoto ◽

Michael Russell ◽

David E. Conroy

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

United States ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Adult Population ◽

The United States ◽

National Sample ◽

Protective Effects ◽

Social Motives ◽

General Adult Population ◽

The U.S

Alcohol and physical inactivity are risk factors for a variety of cancer types. However, alcohol use often co-occurs with physical activity (PA), which could mitigate the cancer-prevention benefits of PA. Alcohol is integrated into the culture of one of the most popular physical activities for adults in the United States (U.S.), golf. This study examined how alcohol use was associated with total PA, golf-specific PA, and motives for golfing in a national sample of golfers in the U.S. Adult golfers (n = 338; 51% male, 81% White, 46 ± 14.4 years) self-reported alcohol use, golfing behavior and motives, and PA. Most (84%) golfers consumed alcohol, averaging 7.91 servings/week. Golf participation, including days/week, holes/week, and practice hours/week, was not associated with alcohol use. Golfers with stronger social motives were 60% more likely to consume alcohol. Weekly walking (incident risk ratio (IRR) = 7.30), moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA; IRR = 5.04), and total PA (IRR = 4.14) were associated with more alcohol servings/week. Golfers’ alcohol use may be higher than the general adult population in the U.S. and contributes 775 extra kilocalories/week, a surplus that may offset PA-related energy expenditure and cancer-protective effects. Alcohol use interventions targeting golfers may facilitate weight loss and reduce cancer risk, especially for golfers motivated by social status.

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