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Le Gal C, Lecorguillé M, Poncet L, Cissé AH, Gassama M, Simeon T, Lanoë JL, Melchior M, Bernard JY, Charles MA, Heude B, Lioret S. Social patterning of childhood overweight in the French national ELFE cohort. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21975. [PMID: 38081843 PMCID: PMC10713558 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48431-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
An inverse social gradient in early childhood overweight has been consistently described in high-income countries; however, less is known about the role of migration status. We studied the social patterning of overweight in preschool children according to the mother's socio-economic and migration background. For 9250 children of the French ELFE birth cohort with body mass index collected at age 3.5 years, we used nested logistic regression to investigate the association of overweight status in children with maternal educational level, occupation, household income and migration status. Overall, 8.3% (95%CI [7.7-9.0]) of children were classified as overweight. The odds of overweight was increased for children from immigrant mothers (OR 2.22 [95% CI 1.75-2.78]) and descendants of immigrant mothers (OR 1.35 [1.04-2.78]) versus non-immigrant mothers. The highest odds of overweight was also observed in children whose mothers had low education, were unemployed or students, or were from households in the lowest income quintile. Our findings confirm that socio-economic disadvantage and migration status are risk factors for childhood overweight. However, the social patterning of overweight did not apply uniformly to all variables. These new and comprehensive insights should inform future public health interventions aimed at tackling social inequalities in childhood overweight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Le Gal
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, INRAE, Center for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), 75004, Paris, France.
| | - Marion Lecorguillé
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, INRAE, Center for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), 75004, Paris, France
| | - Lorraine Poncet
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, INRAE, Center for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), 75004, Paris, France
| | - Aminata Hallimat Cissé
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, INRAE, Center for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), 75004, Paris, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Jonathan Y Bernard
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, INRAE, Center for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), 75004, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Aline Charles
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, INRAE, Center for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), 75004, Paris, France
- UMS INED-INSERM-EFS, Paris, France
| | - Barbara Heude
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, INRAE, Center for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), 75004, Paris, France.
| | - Sandrine Lioret
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, INRAE, Center for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), 75004, Paris, France.
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Acciai F, Yellow Horse AJ, Ohri-Vachaspati P. Individual-, family-, and contextual-level variables do not explain the protective effect of parental nativity status on changes in 3-15-year-old children's BMI. SSM Popul Health 2020; 12:100652. [PMID: 32964095 PMCID: PMC7490737 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2020.100652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual-, family-, and contextual-level factors can simultaneously and interactively affect a child's body mass index (BMI). We examine parental nativity as a key determinant of changes in children's BMI over time. Prior research on this topic has been inconclusive. A longitudinal sample of households with children residing in four low-income, high minority New Jersey cities provided data on demographics, socioeconomic status, anthropometric measures, as well as dietary and physical activity behaviors for one randomly selected child. The baseline interview for two separate cohorts took place in 2009/10 and 2014-15, with a follow-up interview 2–5 years later. The outcome variable, change in BMI z-score was divided into three categories (decrease in BMI z-score; no meaningful change; increase in BMI z-score) and analyzed using ordinal logistic regressions. About 28% of the children in the sample had at least one foreign-born parent. For the two major racial/ethnic groups, i.e., Hispanics and non-Hispanic blacks, having a foreign-born parent was associated with a favorable change in BMI—children of foreign-born parents were more likely to experience a decrease BMI z-score between baseline and follow-up. Multivariate analyses reveal that the initial association between parental nativity and children's BMI change (OR = 0.20; p < 0.001) persists after controlling for an extensive set of covariates, such as child dietary and physical activity behaviors, family-level variables, census tract characteristics, and measures of food environment (OR = 0.17; p < 0.001). Through a series of sensitivity analyses, we verified that our results are consistent across different model specifications. In our sample, having a foreign-born parent was a protective factor for children's BMI change that operates through different pathways than might be anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Acciai
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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Umer A, Hamilton C, Edwards RA, Cottrell L, Giacobbi P, Innes K, John C, Kelley GA, Neal W, Lilly C. Association between birth weight and childhood cardiovascular disease risk factors in West Virginia. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2020; 11:86-95. [PMID: 31412965 PMCID: PMC7418058 DOI: 10.1017/s204017441900045x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The reported associations between birth weight and childhood cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors have been inconsistent. In this study, we investigated the relationship between birth weight and CVD risk factors at 11 years of age. This study used longitudinally linked data from three cross-sectional datasets (N = 22,136) in West Virginia; analysis was restricted to children born full-term (N = 19,583). The outcome variables included resting blood pressure [systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP)] and lipid profile [total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, non-HDL, and triglycerides (TG)]. Multiple regression analyses were performed, adjusting for child's body mass index (BMI), sociodemographics, and lifestyle characteristics. Unadjusted analyses showed a statistically significant association between birth weight and SBP, DBP, HDL, and TG. When adjusted for the child's BMI, the association between birth weight and HDL [b = 0.14 (95% CI: 0.11, 0.18) mg/dl per 1000 g increase] and between birth weight and TG [b = -0.007 (-0.008, -0.005) mg/dl per 1000 g increase] remained statistically significant. In the fully adjusted model, low birth weight was associated with higher LDL, non-HDL, and TGs, and lower HDL levels. The child's current BMI at 11 years of age partially (for HDL, non-HDL, and TG) and fully mediated (for SBP and DBP) the relationship between birth weight and select CVD risk factors. While effects were modest, these risk factors may persist and amplify with age, leading to potentially unfavorable consequences in later adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amna Umer
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Candice Hamilton
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Roger A. Edwards
- Department Health Professions Education Program, Center for Interprofessional Studies and Innovation, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lesley Cottrell
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Peter Giacobbi
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Kim Innes
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Collin John
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - George A. Kelley
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - William Neal
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Christa Lilly
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
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Zhang Q, Liu R, Diggs LA, Wang Y, Ling L. Does acculturation affect the dietary intakes and body weight status of children of immigrants in the U.S. and other developed countries? A systematic review. ETHNICITY & HEALTH 2019; 24:73-93. [PMID: 28406037 PMCID: PMC6120814 DOI: 10.1080/13557858.2017.1315365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This paper reviews available studies on the relationship between acculturation and obesity among children of immigrants who have at least one foreign-born parent. METHODS A systematic review of relevant studies was undertaken using PubMed, Web of Science, and PsychInfo. RESULTS The initial search identified 1317 potentially relevant publications, of which 21 were retained after three rounds of screening. Most studies were conducted in the U.S. The majority of studies used BMI or overweight/obesity prevalence as the outcome variable, while two studies used dietary intake. Three studies used standardized acculturation scales, while most of the studies used generation, duration of residency in host country, and language as proxy measures of acculturation. The relationship between acculturation and outcomes varied between the host countries and origin countries for children of immigrants. CONCLUSION This study suggests children of immigrants with different cultural backgrounds may interact with host countries to varying degrees, ultimately influencing their diet behaviours and body weight status. Researchers are encouraged to adopt standardized acculturation scales to compare the results across countries and populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhang
- School of Community and Environmental Health, Old Dominion
University, Norfolk, VA, USA
- Sun Yat-sen Center for Migrant Health Policy, Sun Yat-sen
University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruicui Liu
- School of Community and Environmental Health, Old Dominion
University, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Leigh A Diggs
- School of Community and Environmental Health, Old Dominion
University, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Youfa Wang
- Fisher Institute of Health and Well-Being, Ball State
University, Muncie, IN, USA
| | - Li Ling
- Sun Yat-sen Center for Migrant Health Policy, Sun Yat-sen
University, Guangzhou, China
- Faculty of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of
Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Frisco ML, Quiros S, Van Hook J. One Size May Not Fit All: How Obesity Among Mexican-Origin Youth Varies by Generation, Gender, and Age. Demography 2017; 53:2031-2043. [PMID: 27873221 DOI: 10.1007/s13524-016-0525-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Immigrants' health (dis)advantages are increasingly recognized as not being uniform, leading to calls for studies investigating whether immigrant health outcomes are dependent on factors that exacerbate health risks. We answer this call, considering an outcome with competing evidence about immigrants' vulnerability versus risk: childhood obesity. More specifically, we investigate obesity among three generations of Mexican-origin youth relative to one another and to U.S.-born whites. We posit that risk is dependent on the intersection of generational status, gender, and age, which all influence exposure to U.S. society and weight concerns. Analyses of National Health and Nutrition Examination Studies (NHANES) data suggest that accounting for ethnicity and generation alone misses considerable gender and age heterogeneity in childhood obesity among Mexican-origin and white youth. For example, second-generation boys are vulnerable to obesity, but the odds of obesity for first-generation girls are low and on par with those of white girls. Findings also indicate that age moderates ethnic/generational differences in obesity among boys but not among girls. Overall, ethnic/generational patterns of childhood obesity do not conform to a "one size fits all" theory of immigrant health (dis)advantage, leading us to join calls for more research considering how immigrants' characteristics and contexts differentially shape vulnerability to disease and death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L Frisco
- Department of Sociology and Criminology & Population Research Institute, Penn State University, 211 Oswald Tower, University Park, PA, 16803, USA.
| | - Susana Quiros
- Department of Sociology and Criminology & Population Research Institute, Penn State University, 211 Oswald Tower, University Park, PA, 16803, USA
| | - Jennifer Van Hook
- Department of Sociology and Criminology & Population Research Institute, Penn State University, 211 Oswald Tower, University Park, PA, 16803, USA
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Evaluating Latino WIC Mothers' Perceptions of Infant's Healthy Growth: A Formative Assessment. Matern Child Health J 2016; 20:525-33. [PMID: 26530036 DOI: 10.1007/s10995-015-1850-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This article reports on a formative assessment with Latino mothers in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) evaluating knowledge, attitudes and behaviors regarding healthy growth for infants and their understanding of infant growth monitoring. Further, we explored the acceptability and feasibility of mothers' monitoring their infants' growth. This assessment includes healthy growth perceptions from mothers, caregivers and from WIC staff. METHODS Utilizing a mixed method approach, this assessment included qualitative focus groups with WIC mothers that included a growth chart plotting exercise and a quantitative survey. In-depth interviews with clinic staff discussing protocols used in assessing children's growth were also conducted in one WIC clinic. RESULTS Focus group participants included 34 mothers and 19 caregivers with a mean age of 32 years; 90 % identified as Latino. Themes included concern for underweight status, and reports of limited conversations between mothers and healthcare providers regarding overweight status, and infant feeding practices/beliefs that may contribute to feeding behaviors associated with risk for excess weight gain during infancy. Growth charts were well received, mothers were able to plot with modest accuracy; but effectiveness of growth plotting might be limited without refinement for health literacy and the provision of culturally-sensitive education in relation to feeding behaviors to support healthy infant growth. CONCLUSIONS This represents a first effort in evaluating Latino mothers' perceptions of infants' healthy growth and use growth charts as a potential tool that can help prevent excess weight gain in early infancy.
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Melius J, Cannonier C. Exploring U.S. Hispanic parents' length of time in the United States: Influences on obesity outcomes among U.S. Hispanic children. SOCIAL WORK IN HEALTH CARE 2016; 55:826-842. [PMID: 27805497 DOI: 10.1080/00981389.2016.1223259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The 2009 California Health Interview Survey was used to examine effects of Hispanic immigrant parents' length of stay (less or more than 10 years) in the United States on the overweight and obesity outcomes among their children (N = 956, aged 6-11). The socio-ecological model of health was used to conceptualize health risk behaviors and associations with overweight/obesity outcomes among children. Weight (using body mass index) among children was influenced by parents' length of stay, country of origin, income, and urban/rural residence. Future directions for social work professionals working with obese Hispanic children and their families are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janella Melius
- a Department of Human Services Studies , Winston Salem State University , Winston-Salem , North Carolina , USA
| | - Colin Cannonier
- b Jack C. Massey College of Business , Belmont University , Nashville , Tennessee , USA
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Baker EH, Rendall MS, Weden MM. Epidemiological Paradox or Immigrant Vulnerability? Obesity Among Young Children of Immigrants. Demography 2015; 52:1295-320. [PMID: 26111970 PMCID: PMC4534321 DOI: 10.1007/s13524-015-0404-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
According to the "immigrant epidemiological paradox," immigrants and their children enjoy health advantages over their U.S.-born peers--advantages that diminish with greater acculturation. We investigated child obesity as a potentially significant deviation from this paradox for second-generation immigrant children. We evaluated two alternate measures of mother's acculturation: age at arrival in the United States and English language proficiency. To obtain sufficient numbers of second-generation immigrant children, we pooled samples across two related, nationally representative surveys. Each included measured (not parent-reported) height and weight of kindergartners. We also estimated models that alternately included and excluded mother's pre-pregnancy weight status as a predictor. Our findings are opposite to those predicted by the immigrant epidemiological paradox: children of U.S.-born mothers were less likely to be obese than otherwise similar children of foreign-born mothers; and the children of the least-acculturated immigrant mothers, as measured by low English language proficiency, were the most likely to be obese. Foreign-born mothers had lower (healthier) pre-pregnancy weight than U.S.-born mothers, and this was protective against their second-generation children's obesity. This protection, however, was not sufficiently strong to outweigh factors associated or correlated with the mothers' linguistic isolation and marginal status as immigrants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth H Baker
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, HHB 460F, 1720 2nd Avenue S., Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA,
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Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Early Childhood Obesity: Growth Trajectories in Body Mass Index. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2015; 3:129-37. [PMID: 26896112 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-015-0122-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Revised: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 04/24/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aims of this study are to describe growth trajectories in the body mass index (BMI) among the major racial and ethnic groups of US children and to identify predictors of children's BMI trajectories. METHODS The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) was used to identify predictors of BMI growth trajectories, including child characteristics, maternal attributes, home practices related to diet and social behaviors, and family sociodemographic factors. Growth models, spanning 48 to 72 months of age, were estimated with hierarchical linear modeling via STATA/Xtmixed methods. RESULTS Approximately one-third of 4-year-old females and males were overweight and/or obese. African-American and Latino children displayed higher predicted mean BMI scores and differing mean BMI trajectories, compared with White children, adjusting for time-independent and time-dependent predictors. Several factors were significantly associated with lower mean BMI trajectories, including very low birth weight, higher maternal education level, residing in a two-parent household, and breastfeeding during infancy. Greater consumption of soda and fast food was associated with higher mean BMI growth. Soda consumption was a particularly strong predictor of mean BMI growth trajectory for young Black children. Neither the child's inactivity linked to television viewing nor fruit nor vegetable consumption was predictive of BMI growth for any racial/ethnic group. CONCLUSION Significant racial and ethnic differences are discernible in BMI trajectories among young children. Raising parents' and health practitioners' awareness of how fast food and sweetened-beverage consumption contributes to early obesity and growth in BMI-especially for Blacks and Latinos-could improve the health status of young children.
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Martinson ML, McLanahan S, Brooks-Gunn J. Variation in child body mass index patterns by race/ethnicity and maternal nativity status in the United States and England. Matern Child Health J 2015; 19:373-80. [PMID: 24894727 DOI: 10.1007/s10995-014-1519-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
This paper examines body mass index (BMI) trajectories among children from different race/ethnic and maternal nativity backgrounds in the United States and England from early- to middle-childhood. This study is the first to examine race/ethnic and maternal nativity differences in BMI trajectories in both countries. We use two longitudinal birth cohort studies-The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (n = 3,285) for the United States and the Millennium Cohort Study (n = 6,700) for England to estimate trajectories in child BMI by race/ethnicity and maternal nativity status using multilevel growth models. In the United States our sample includes white, black, and Hispanic children; in England the sample includes white, black, and Asian children. We find significant race/ethnic differences in the initial BMI and BMI trajectories of children in both countries, with all non-white groups having significantly steeper BMI growth trajectories than whites. Nativity differences in BMI trajectories vary by race/ethnic group and are only statistically significantly higher for children of foreign-born blacks in England. Disparities in BMI trajectories are pervasive in the United States and England, despite lower overall BMI among English children. Future studies should consider both race/ethnicity and maternal nativity status subgroups when examining disparities in BMI in the United States and England. Differences in BMI are apparent in early childhood, which suggests that interventions targeting pre-school age children may be most effective at stemming childhood disparities in BMI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa L Martinson
- School of Social Work, University of Washington, 4101 15th Avenue NE, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA,
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Cespedes EM, McDonald J, Haines J, Bottino CJ, Schmidt ME, Taveras EM. Obesity-related behaviors of US- and non-US-born parents and children in low-income households. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2013; 34:541-8. [PMID: 24131876 PMCID: PMC4159704 DOI: 10.1097/dbp.0b013e3182a509fb] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine differences in obesity-related behaviors by parental US-born status among low-income, minority families participating in Healthy Habits, Happy Homes, an intervention trial to improve household routines for childhood obesity prevention. Evidence suggests lower obesity risk among adult immigrants, but research is inconclusive regarding the influence of having a non-US-born parent on childhood obesity. METHOD We sampled 57 US-born and 64 non-US-born families of children aged 2 to 5.9 years living in the Boston area. At baseline, parents reported their own screen time, physical activity, diet, and sleep as well as their children's behaviors. We used linear and logistic regression to examine the association of parental US-born status with obesity-related behaviors. RESULTS Mean (SD) body mass index z score was 0.94 (1.16), and it did not differ between the groups. After adjusting for parental education and child race/ethnicity, children of non-US-born (vs US-born) parents had later bedtimes (0.81 hours later; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37-1.25) and wake-up times (0.56 hours later; 95% CI, 0.16-0.95) and engaged in less active play (0.15 fewer hr/d; 95% CI, -0.28 to -0.01). Non-US-born (vs US-born) parents had less screen exposure. CONCLUSION In this cross-section of low-income, urban families, having a parent born outside the United States was associated with a profile of risk and protective behavior; adjustment for education and race/ethnicity removed the protective associations of parental nativity with child behavior. Obesity-related differences in behaviors and home environments should be considered when designing interventions targeting low-income communities with a high proportion of non-US-born participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Cespedes
- *Obesity Prevention Program, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA; †Departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA; ‡Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada; §Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA; ‖Division of General Pediatrics, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston, MA
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Martinson ML, McLanahan S, Brooks-Gunn J. Race/Ethnic and Nativity Disparities in Child Overweight in the United States and England. THE ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF POLITICAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCE 2012; 643:219-238. [PMID: 23633705 PMCID: PMC3637954 DOI: 10.1177/0002716212445750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Child overweight is a growing problem in wealthy countries. There is also evidence that child overweight varies by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. In this article, the authors use data from two recent birth cohort studies in the United States and England to address four questions: (1) Are race/ethnic and immigrant status associated with child overweight? (2) Is the association between socioeconomic status and child overweight similar across race/ethnic and nativity subgroups? (3) Does the age of immigrant mothers at migration moderate the association between immigrant status and child overweight? and (4) Does maternal obesity mediate the association between race/ethnicity and nativity and child overweight? Findings indicate that (1) race/ethnicity and immigrant status are risk factors for child overweight in both countries, (2) the influence of socioeconomic status differs by subgroup, (3) mother's age at migration does not moderate the association, and (4) mother's obesity mediates some of the race/ethnic disparities in child overweight.
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Hamilton ER, Teitler JO, Reichman NE. Mexican American birthweight and child overweight: unraveling a possible early life course health transition. JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR 2011; 52:333-48. [PMID: 21788453 PMCID: PMC3733561 DOI: 10.1177/0022146511405335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Mexican American children have a weight distribution that categorizes them as relatively healthy at birth but relatively unhealthy by age 3. This early life course transition in health based on weight raises the question of whether Mexican American children "outgrow" the epidemiologic paradox of favorable birth outcomes despite social disadvantage or whether their birthweight distribution places them on trajectory for overweight in childhood. We address this question using newly available 9-year follow-up data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing birth cohort study linked to pre-natal medical records. We systematically investigate the roles of birthweight, pre-natal factors, and childhood factors in explaining racial/ethnic differences in childhood overweight. Our main finding is that Mexican American children do outgrow the paradox: Their rates of childhood overweight are higher than expected given their birthweight distribution. Observed pre-natal and childhood factors do not explain the elevated rates of overweight among Mexican American children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin R Hamilton
- Department of Sociology, University of California, Davis, USA.
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