Overweight in young Latino children

Acculturation status is associated with overweight and obesity among Latino adults, but the relationship between maternal acculturation and overweight in Latino children is inconsistent and has not been adequately studied.

We analyzed 3-year follow-up data from 185 Latina mothers and children who were recruited at San Francisco General Hospital. Outcome measure was the child's body mass index at age 3 years, adjusted for age and sex and categorized as healthy (<85%) or overweight (> or =85%). Independent variables were maternal acculturation status, child health status, and child nutritional factors.

At age 3 years, 43% of children were overweight. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, childhood overweight was associated with maternal acculturation status (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.99, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.07-3.69) and maternal obesity (OR 3.71, 95% CI 1.40-9.84). Childhood overweight was also more likely among children who were reported to eat well or very well (OR 3.33, 95% CI 1.46-7.58) and children whose weight was perceived as too high (OR 11.88, 95% CI 2.37-59.60), as compared to children who were reported to eat poorly/not well and children whose weight was perceived as normal, respectively.

Interventions to reduce the high rates of overweight among young Latino children should address the importance of maternal acculturation and obesity as well as maternal perceptions of children's weight and eating habits.