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Reducing Hispanic children's obesity risk factors in the first 1000 days of life: a qualitative analysis
Jennifer A Woo Baidal1, Shaniece Criss2, Roberta E Goldman3
1Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA ; Division of General Academic Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, 100 Cambridge Street, 15th floor, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Insights
Early life behaviors impact Hispanic children's obesity. Interventions during the first 1000 days can improve maternal understanding and prevent childhood obesity by linking healthcare and family support.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Modifiable behaviors in the first 1000 days (conception to 24 months) are key to Hispanic children's obesity disparities.
- Understanding early life obesity risk factors is crucial for developing effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- Examine underlying reasons for early life obesity risk factors in Hispanic children.
- Identify potential early life intervention strategies to address these factors.
Main Methods:
- Conducted 7 focus groups with 49 Hispanic women (pregnant or with children < 24 months).
- Explored influences on childhood obesity risk factors and intervention ideas.
- Utilized immersion-crystallization analysis until theme saturation.
Main Results:
- Maternal focus on pregnancy coping may overshadow healthy eating and physical activity.
- Beliefs about infant hunger and taste drive early introduction of solids and sugary drinks.
- Mothers perceive screen time as beneficial for infant development.
- Physicians, nutritionists, and relatives are key information sources; interest in mobile tech and group/home visits for interventions.
Conclusions:
- The first 1000 days offer opportunities to enhance Hispanic mothers' understanding of early weight gain's role in childhood obesity.
- Interventions integrating healthcare and public health systems, involving extended family, can prevent childhood obesity.
Objectives:
Modifiable behaviors during the first 1000 days (conception age 24 months) mediate Hispanic children's obesity disparities. We aimed to examine underlying reasons for early life obesity risk factors and identify potential early life intervention strategies.
Methods:
We conducted 7 focus groups with 49 Hispanic women who were pregnant or had children < age 24 months. Domains included influences on childhood obesity risk factors and future intervention ideas. We analyzed data with immersion-crystallization methods until no new themes emerged.
Results:
Themes included coping with pregnancy may trump healthy eating and physical activity; early life weight gain is unrelated to later life obesity; fear of infant hunger drives bottle and early solids introduction; beliefs about infant taste promote early solids and sugary beverage introduction; and belief that screen time promotes infant development. Mothers identified physicians, nutritionists, and relatives as important health information sources and expressed interest in mobile technology and group or home visits for interventions.
Conclusion:
Opportunities exist in the first 1000 days to improve Hispanic mothers' understanding of the role of early life weight gain in childhood obesity and other obesity risk factors. Interventions that link health care and public health systems and include extended family may prevent obesity among Hispanic children.
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