TY - JOUR
T1 - An Ecological Approach to Obesity in Mexican American Children
AU - Reifsnider, Elizabeth
AU - Jeong, Mihyun
AU - Chatterjee, Priyanka
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Alma Flores Vela, RN, PhD, and Dr. Shannon Dowdall Smith, RN, PhD, for their work on the data collection for this study. The funding for this research came from the Regional Academic Health Center from the University of Texas System. The funding agency did not have input into the study design, in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report, or in the decision to submit the article for publication.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
PY - 2020/5/1
Y1 - 2020/5/1
N2 - Introduction: The objective of this study was to explore the risk factors that contribute to obesity in Mexican American children compared with Mexican American normal weight children. No hypotheses were tested in the study. When risk factors are known, nurses can use evidence to reduce risky behavior. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used, comparing two groups of children to discern the risk factors for obesity. The setting is a county in South Texas along the border with Mexico. The sample consisted of 55 Mexican American dyads (mother-child). The following measures, based on the Ecological Model of Growth, were used to collect data: anthropometrics, dietary data of children, home environment, perceived stress of mother, and maternal acculturation. Independent sample t tests, chi-square tests, Fisher exact tests, and a hierarchical logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: The findings show children's age and maternal body mass index (BMI) are positively correlated with childhood obesity, as measured by BMI percentile by age/sex. There were significant differences in the host and agent factors of prolonged bottle feeding, amount of outdoor play, and fruit drinks between normal weight and obese children. Discussion: Engagement and involvement of other family members in outdoor activities, nutrition/feeding, and child care may mitigate the negative effects of host and agent factors on child body size.
AB - Introduction: The objective of this study was to explore the risk factors that contribute to obesity in Mexican American children compared with Mexican American normal weight children. No hypotheses were tested in the study. When risk factors are known, nurses can use evidence to reduce risky behavior. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used, comparing two groups of children to discern the risk factors for obesity. The setting is a county in South Texas along the border with Mexico. The sample consisted of 55 Mexican American dyads (mother-child). The following measures, based on the Ecological Model of Growth, were used to collect data: anthropometrics, dietary data of children, home environment, perceived stress of mother, and maternal acculturation. Independent sample t tests, chi-square tests, Fisher exact tests, and a hierarchical logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: The findings show children's age and maternal body mass index (BMI) are positively correlated with childhood obesity, as measured by BMI percentile by age/sex. There were significant differences in the host and agent factors of prolonged bottle feeding, amount of outdoor play, and fruit drinks between normal weight and obese children. Discussion: Engagement and involvement of other family members in outdoor activities, nutrition/feeding, and child care may mitigate the negative effects of host and agent factors on child body size.
KW - Childhood obesity
KW - Hispanic children
KW - ecological model
KW - maternal employment
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U2 - 10.1016/j.pedhc.2019.09.012
DO - 10.1016/j.pedhc.2019.09.012
M3 - Article
C2 - 31813667
AN - SCOPUS:85076565215
SN - 0891-5245
VL - 34
SP - 212
EP - 221
JO - Journal of Pediatric Health Care
JF - Journal of Pediatric Health Care
IS - 3
ER -