CHILD FEEDING PRACTICES AND OVERWEIGHT STATUS IN MEXICAN

IMMIGRANT HOUSEHOLDS

Co-Principal Investigators:Luz Elvia Vera Becerra, UGTOMartha Lopez, UCCE VenturaLucia Kaiser, UC Davis

Funded by UCMEXUS California Mexico Health Initiative

A BINATIONAL STUDY

Guanajuato

Ventura, California

PURPOSE To compare cultural attitudes and beliefs, child

feeding practices, and overweight status of children ages 1 to 6 years among Mexican families living in California (CA) or Guanajuato, Mexico (MX).

RESEARCH DESIGN

Cross-sectional interviews from May through October 2006 among Site 1: 96 families in Ventura, CA (urban);

Site 2: 91 families in San Gregorio, GTO (village) ;

Site 3: 109 families in Cuerámaro, GTO (small town)

DATA COLLECTION AND PROCEDURES

Household demographics and food insecurity (past and current)

In households with more than one child 1 to 6 years, target child was randomly selected.

Target child: history of infant feeding, current feeding practices, maternal perception of child’s weight, FFQ, 2 dietary recall

Obtain consent, interview mothers, follow-up phone call/contact, provide gift

ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS

All children under 7 yrs: measured weight and height (if < 2 yrs, length)

Mother’s measured weight and height

Used new WHO growth, 12-60 mos; CDC used for 61 mos and older

INTERVIEWING FAMILIES

Health center (Mexico) Home (California)

TABLE 1.CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STUDY PARTICIPANTS (TARGET CHILD)

US

n = 94MX

n = 200P-value

Gender (Female) 51.06 % 45.05%

NS

Age (months) Mean ± (SD)

50.8 (±19.59) 45.5 (±20.0) NS

Household size (no.) Mean ± (SD)

4.6 ( + 1.1) 6.0 (+ 2.4) P=0.0001

Educational level of mother (yrs).   Mean ± (SD). n= 96

8.4 (± 2.8)

 

5.9 (± 3.0) 

P=0.0001

FIGURE 1. GROWTH STATUS OF CHILDREN 1 TO 2 YEARS (N=47)

• 2005 WHO Growth Reference

NS

NS NS

50th percentile

>85th percentile

NS= Not significant

FIGURE 2. GROWTH STATUS OF CHILDREN 2 TO 6 YEARS (N=352)

p<.001

NS

• WHO References for children 24 to 60 mo• CDC References for children > 60 mo

50th percentile

>85th percentile

>97 percentile

NS= Not signifficant

TABLE 2. MATERNAL PERCEPTIONS AND CONCERN RELATED TO CHILD’S GROWTH AND SIZE FOR CHILDREN

California% (n)

Mexico% (n)

Worried about child becoming underweight (n=296)

58.6 (34) 94.4(134) p=.0001

Worried about child becoming overweight (n=296)

68.0 (40) 88.0 (125) p=.001

% of mothers correctly identifying child as being heavy (n=90)

28.89(13) 26.7(12) (NS)

% of mothers ever told by MD that child is heavy (n=90)

17.78 (8) 17.8(8) (NS)

TABLE 3. INFANT FEEDING PRACTICES

Californian =95

% (n)

Mexicon = 200

% (n)

Any breastfeeding 82.1 (78) 87.0 (174) (NS)

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for 1 month

77.9 (74) 82.6 (161) (NS)

Any formula in first 12 months 71.6 (68) 58.5(117) p=0.012

Cow’s milk before 12 mo of age 15.8 (15) 34.3(68) p=.01

Teas/sweetened beverages (including soda)

30.5(29) 76.0(152) p=.0001

Duration of breastfeeding (mo) Mean + SD

8.3(+7.4) 11.0( +7.7) p=.04

FREQUENCY OF CONSUMING DIFFERENT FOODS IN CA COMPARED TO MX

Consumed more often in CA Consumed less often in CA

Cheese (both Mexican-and American-style

Quesadillas

Pizza

Hamburgers

Hot dogs

Ketchup

Cereal

Candies

Fried beans

Corn tortillas

Rice

Whole milk

Soda

CONCLUSIONS:  Prevalence of overweight appears greater in

young Mexican immigrant children in CA than in their counterparts in MX.

California mothers are not more likely to be worried about their children becoming overweight.

There are no differences in being able to correctly identify their children as overweight.

Most mothers of overweight children, in either country, had not been informed that their child is overweight.

OTHER RESEARCH TEAM MEMBERS

Mexican team: Luz Elvia Vera Dolores Avalos Elsa Ballesteros Carolina Alvarez Sofia Graciano

US team: Lucia Kaiser Martha Lopez Blanca Arias

Velasquez Virginia Chaidez