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Factors related to overweight and risk for overweight status among low-income Hispanic children

Elizabeth Reifsnider1, Colleen S Keller, Martina Gallagher

  • 1School of Nursing, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. elreifsn@utmb.edu

Journal of Pediatric Nursing
|May 23, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Maternal body mass index (BMI) and dietary fat intake are linked to higher weight/height percentiles in low-income Hispanic toddlers. Protein intake and hunger are associated with lower percentiles, suggesting tailored nutrition interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Nutrition Science
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Childhood overweight is a significant public health concern, particularly in low-income populations.
  • Hispanic toddlers in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are a vulnerable group for weight status issues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify agent, host, and environmental factors associated with overweight status in low-income Hispanic toddlers.
  • To inform targeted dietary counseling and health promotion strategies for this population.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study design utilizing data from low-income Hispanic toddlers enrolled in WIC.
  • Ecological model approach examining child's weight/height percentile in relation to maternal BMI, dietary intake (fat, protein), and child's hunger cues.

Main Results:

  • Maternal BMI and higher daily fat servings were positively associated with weight/height percentiles in at-risk toddlers.
  • Increased protein servings and reported hunger were negatively associated with weight/height percentiles.
  • Childhood age was positively associated with weight/height percentiles among already overweight children.

Conclusions:

  • Dietary fat and maternal BMI are key factors contributing to overweight risk in this population.
  • Protein intake and hunger signals may play a protective role or indicate different nutritional needs.
  • Personalized interventions based on individual weight status and BMI are recommended for effective management.

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