Racial Differences in Obesity-Related Risk Factors Between 2-Year-Old Children Born of Overweight Mothers

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
• Socio-behavioral factors significantly influence obesity risk in early childhood.
• Racial disparities in childhood obesity prevalence are well-documented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate racial differences in obesity-related socio-behavioral risk factors among young children.
• To compare risk factors between Black and White children born to obese mothers.

Main Methods:

• Surveyed 142 Black and 151 White 2-year-olds and their parents.
• Assessed physical activity and food environments, parental role modeling, eating behaviors, feeding practices, child physical activity, and dietary intake.
• Calculated body mass index (BMI) z-scores for children and BMI for parents.

Main Results:

• Black families reported more obesity risk factors than White families in bivariate analyses.
• Significant differences included greater soda availability, more television viewing, and poorer dietary intake in Black families.
• Multivariate analyses confirmed significant differences in television watching and dietary intake between racial groups, even after adjusting for maternal BMI and socioeconomic factors.

Conclusions:

• Black children and their families exhibit a higher number of obesity risk factors compared to White children.
• These disparities persist after controlling for maternal body mass index and socioeconomic status.
• Findings highlight the need for targeted interventions addressing socio-behavioral factors in at-risk populations.