The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, Nov 2, 2017
The prevalence of obesity among Latino children is alarmingly high, when compared to non-Latino W... more The prevalence of obesity among Latino children is alarmingly high, when compared to non-Latino White children. Low-income Latino parents living in urban areas, even if they are well-educated, face obstacles that shape familial health behaviors. This study used qualitative methods to explore parents' experiences in providing meals and opportunities to play to their children aged 2 to 5 years. In contrast to most prior studies, this study examined perceptions of familial behaviors among both mothers and fathers. An ecological framework for exploring the associations of parental feeding behaviors and children's weight informed this study. An interview guide was developed to explore parents' experiences and perceptions about children's eating and physical activity and administered to six focus groups in a community-based organization in the Mission District of San Francisco. Transcripts were coded and analyzed. Twenty seven mothers and 22 fathers of Latino children ages...
Mothers' feeding practices are associated with their children's weight status, but little... more Mothers' feeding practices are associated with their children's weight status, but little is known about the associations between fathers' feeding practices and children's weight status. Moreover, there is a dearth of research on Latino fathers' feeding practices and children's weight status, even though Latino children suffer some of the highest obesity rates in the U.S. We examined the associations between fathers' feeding practices and child weight status, conditional on mothers' feeding practices, within 174 Mexican American families with children aged 8-10 years. Parents completed the Parental Feeding Practices Questionnaire, which consists of four subscales: positive involvement in child eating, pressure to eat, use of food to control behavior, and restriction of amount of food. To assess child weight status, body mass index (BMI) was calculated and converted to age- and gender-specific percentile scores (BMI z-score). We fit four sets of regres...
The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, Jan 4, 2014
BackgroundModerate-vigorous physical activity (%MVPA) confers beneficial effects on child musculo... more BackgroundModerate-vigorous physical activity (%MVPA) confers beneficial effects on child musculoskeletal health, cardiovascular fitness, and psychosocial well-being; in contrast, sedentary time (%SED) is emerging as a risk factor for health. This study aimed to identify parental, child and neighborhood factors influencing longitudinal assessments of body mass index (BMI) and activity patterns among Latino children, and to estimate lagged and cross-lagged effects between child BMI, %MVPA and %SED.MethodsA longitudinal design with assessments at baseline, 1 and 2 years follow-up (FU) was used to evaluate the effects of maternal and paternal factors (BMI, age, education level, acculturation, household income and household size), child factors (gender, age, BMI, pubertal status) and neighborhood factors (disorder, victimization) on child BMI, %MVPA and %SED, expressed as a percent of awake time, in 282 Latino children ages 8¿10 y and their parents. This study was restricted to families...
Cross-sectional studies show that sleep is related to childhood obesity. We aimed to examine the ... more Cross-sectional studies show that sleep is related to childhood obesity. We aimed to examine the longitudinal impact of sleep on the risk of obesity in Mexican American children. We evaluated 229 Mexican American 8-10-year-olds and their mothers at baseline and at 12- and 24-month follow-ups. Sleep duration and anthropometrics were collected. Age- and gender-specific body mass index (BMI) z-scores (BMIz) were calculated based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Sleep duration was estimated using accelerometry. Children were also categorized as long or short sleepers, using the National Sleep Foundation's recommendation to define adequate sleep duration (10-11 h for 5-12-year-olds). Using linear regressions, we examined whether sleep duration predicted BMIz, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and weight gain at 24 months. Children were mostly short sleepers (82%). Children who slept less were more likely to have a higher BMIz, WHtR, and weight gain at the 24-mont...
This article reports on the development of the Multidimensional Assessment of Interparental Confl... more This article reports on the development of the Multidimensional Assessment of Interparental Conflict Scale (MAIC), with parallel forms for parents and adolescents. Dimensions include fre-quency, intensity, child-related conflict, conflict behavior, child involvement, and ...
This study explores Latina adolescents' percep-tions of bow much their parents told them abo... more This study explores Latina adolescents' percep-tions of bow much their parents told them about sexuality as it relates to sexual behavior. Two groups of Latina adolescents, one never pregnant (N = 40) and one pregnant or parenting (A/ = 43), were interviewed by phone about their ...
DOI 10.1186/s12966-015-0224-2such as restriction of food, pressure to eat, and use of94143-0848 S... more DOI 10.1186/s12966-015-0224-2such as restriction of food, pressure to eat, and use of94143-0848 San Francisco, CA, USA Full list of author information is available at the end of the articleThe high prevalence of obesity among children is of great concern. Obese children are likely to be obese as adults; and obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and sleep apnea [1–4]. Mexican American children have an elevated prevalence of obes-ity, compared to non-Hispanic white children. Among children 6–11 years old, 22.4 % of Mexican American girls and 21.8 % of Mexican American boys were obese in 2009–2010, compared with 10.7 % of non-Hispanic white girls and 16.8 % of non-Hispanic white boys [5]. There is a critical need to identify modifiable risk fac-tors for obesity among Mexican American children. One important influence on children’s weight, for which in-terventions could be developed, is parental feeding prac-tices. Parental feeding practices are thought t...
This study utilized the theory of reasoned action to examine how Latina adolescents&a... more This study utilized the theory of reasoned action to examine how Latina adolescents' intentions to have sex in the coming month were influenced by their general attitude toward having sex and their perceptions of general social norms about having sex. Eighty-four Mexican American and Central American adolescent females ages 14 to 19 participated in telephone interviews. One group of 41 Mexican American adolescents was obtained through a telephone survey and the second group of 43 pregnant or parenting Mexican American and Central American adolescents was recruited from health clinics. Path analysis conducted separately for the two groups indicated that, for the clinic group, perceptions of general social norms, but not general attitude, predicted intentions to have sex; and for the survey group, whether they were sexually active directly predicted perceptions of general social norms and intention to have sex. Adolescents' perceptions of what significant others desired of them, but not their motivation to comply, predicted perceptions of general social norms about having sex. Results underscore the importance of social norms for Latina adolescents when they are considering whether or not to have sex.
Objective To determine whether parents who prefer a heavier child would underestimate their child... more Objective To determine whether parents who prefer a heavier child would underestimate their child's weight more than those who prefer a leaner child. Methods Participants were Mexican-American families (312 mothers, 173 fathers, and 312 children ages 8-10) who were interviewed and had height and weight measurements. Parents reported their preferred child body size and their perceptions of their child's weight. Parents' underestimation of their child's weight was calculated as the standardized difference between parent's perception of their child's weight and the child's body mass index (BMI) z-score. Demographic factors and parental BMI were also assessed. Results Although 50 % of children were overweight or obese, only 11 % of mothers and 10 % of fathers perceived their children as being somewhat or very overweight. Multiple regressions controlling for covariates (parental BMI and child age) showed that parents who preferred a heavier child body size und...
Background: The prevalence of obesity among Latino children is alarmingly high, when compared to ... more Background: The prevalence of obesity among Latino children is alarmingly high, when compared to non-Latino White children. Low-income Latino parents living in urban areas, even if they are well-educated, face obstacles that shape familial health behaviors. This study used qualitative methods to explore parents' experiences in providing meals and opportunities to play to their children aged 2 to 5 years. In contrast to most prior studies, this study examined perceptions of familial behaviors among both mothers and fathers. Methods: An ecological framework for exploring the associations of parental feeding behaviors and children's weight informed this study. An interview guide was developed to explore parents' experiences and perceptions about children's eating and physical activity and administered to six focus groups in a community-based organization in the Mission District of San Francisco. Transcripts were coded and analyzed. Twenty seven mothers and 22 fathers of Latino children ages 2 to 5 participated. Results: Mothers, fathers, and couples reported that employment, day care, neighborhood environments and community relationships were experienced, and perceived as obstacles to promoting health behavior among their children, including drinking water instead of soda and participating in organized playtime with other preschool-age children. Conclusions: Results from this study suggest that the parents' demographic, social and community characteristics influence what and how they feed their children, as well as how often and the types of opportunities they provide for physical activity, providing further evidence that an ecological framework is useful for guiding research with both mothers and fathers. Mothers and fathers identified numerous community and society-level constraints in their urban environments. The results point to the importance of standardized work hours, resources for day care providers, clean and safe streets and parks, strong community relationships, and reduced access to sugar-sweetened beverages in preventing the development of obesity in preschool-age Latino children.
The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, Nov 2, 2017
The prevalence of obesity among Latino children is alarmingly high, when compared to non-Latino W... more The prevalence of obesity among Latino children is alarmingly high, when compared to non-Latino White children. Low-income Latino parents living in urban areas, even if they are well-educated, face obstacles that shape familial health behaviors. This study used qualitative methods to explore parents' experiences in providing meals and opportunities to play to their children aged 2 to 5 years. In contrast to most prior studies, this study examined perceptions of familial behaviors among both mothers and fathers. An ecological framework for exploring the associations of parental feeding behaviors and children's weight informed this study. An interview guide was developed to explore parents' experiences and perceptions about children's eating and physical activity and administered to six focus groups in a community-based organization in the Mission District of San Francisco. Transcripts were coded and analyzed. Twenty seven mothers and 22 fathers of Latino children ages...
Mothers' feeding practices are associated with their children's weight status, but little... more Mothers' feeding practices are associated with their children's weight status, but little is known about the associations between fathers' feeding practices and children's weight status. Moreover, there is a dearth of research on Latino fathers' feeding practices and children's weight status, even though Latino children suffer some of the highest obesity rates in the U.S. We examined the associations between fathers' feeding practices and child weight status, conditional on mothers' feeding practices, within 174 Mexican American families with children aged 8-10 years. Parents completed the Parental Feeding Practices Questionnaire, which consists of four subscales: positive involvement in child eating, pressure to eat, use of food to control behavior, and restriction of amount of food. To assess child weight status, body mass index (BMI) was calculated and converted to age- and gender-specific percentile scores (BMI z-score). We fit four sets of regres...
The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, Jan 4, 2014
BackgroundModerate-vigorous physical activity (%MVPA) confers beneficial effects on child musculo... more BackgroundModerate-vigorous physical activity (%MVPA) confers beneficial effects on child musculoskeletal health, cardiovascular fitness, and psychosocial well-being; in contrast, sedentary time (%SED) is emerging as a risk factor for health. This study aimed to identify parental, child and neighborhood factors influencing longitudinal assessments of body mass index (BMI) and activity patterns among Latino children, and to estimate lagged and cross-lagged effects between child BMI, %MVPA and %SED.MethodsA longitudinal design with assessments at baseline, 1 and 2 years follow-up (FU) was used to evaluate the effects of maternal and paternal factors (BMI, age, education level, acculturation, household income and household size), child factors (gender, age, BMI, pubertal status) and neighborhood factors (disorder, victimization) on child BMI, %MVPA and %SED, expressed as a percent of awake time, in 282 Latino children ages 8¿10 y and their parents. This study was restricted to families...
Cross-sectional studies show that sleep is related to childhood obesity. We aimed to examine the ... more Cross-sectional studies show that sleep is related to childhood obesity. We aimed to examine the longitudinal impact of sleep on the risk of obesity in Mexican American children. We evaluated 229 Mexican American 8-10-year-olds and their mothers at baseline and at 12- and 24-month follow-ups. Sleep duration and anthropometrics were collected. Age- and gender-specific body mass index (BMI) z-scores (BMIz) were calculated based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Sleep duration was estimated using accelerometry. Children were also categorized as long or short sleepers, using the National Sleep Foundation's recommendation to define adequate sleep duration (10-11 h for 5-12-year-olds). Using linear regressions, we examined whether sleep duration predicted BMIz, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and weight gain at 24 months. Children were mostly short sleepers (82%). Children who slept less were more likely to have a higher BMIz, WHtR, and weight gain at the 24-mont...
This article reports on the development of the Multidimensional Assessment of Interparental Confl... more This article reports on the development of the Multidimensional Assessment of Interparental Conflict Scale (MAIC), with parallel forms for parents and adolescents. Dimensions include fre-quency, intensity, child-related conflict, conflict behavior, child involvement, and ...
This study explores Latina adolescents' percep-tions of bow much their parents told them abo... more This study explores Latina adolescents' percep-tions of bow much their parents told them about sexuality as it relates to sexual behavior. Two groups of Latina adolescents, one never pregnant (N = 40) and one pregnant or parenting (A/ = 43), were interviewed by phone about their ...
DOI 10.1186/s12966-015-0224-2such as restriction of food, pressure to eat, and use of94143-0848 S... more DOI 10.1186/s12966-015-0224-2such as restriction of food, pressure to eat, and use of94143-0848 San Francisco, CA, USA Full list of author information is available at the end of the articleThe high prevalence of obesity among children is of great concern. Obese children are likely to be obese as adults; and obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and sleep apnea [1–4]. Mexican American children have an elevated prevalence of obes-ity, compared to non-Hispanic white children. Among children 6–11 years old, 22.4 % of Mexican American girls and 21.8 % of Mexican American boys were obese in 2009–2010, compared with 10.7 % of non-Hispanic white girls and 16.8 % of non-Hispanic white boys [5]. There is a critical need to identify modifiable risk fac-tors for obesity among Mexican American children. One important influence on children’s weight, for which in-terventions could be developed, is parental feeding prac-tices. Parental feeding practices are thought t...
This study utilized the theory of reasoned action to examine how Latina adolescents&a... more This study utilized the theory of reasoned action to examine how Latina adolescents' intentions to have sex in the coming month were influenced by their general attitude toward having sex and their perceptions of general social norms about having sex. Eighty-four Mexican American and Central American adolescent females ages 14 to 19 participated in telephone interviews. One group of 41 Mexican American adolescents was obtained through a telephone survey and the second group of 43 pregnant or parenting Mexican American and Central American adolescents was recruited from health clinics. Path analysis conducted separately for the two groups indicated that, for the clinic group, perceptions of general social norms, but not general attitude, predicted intentions to have sex; and for the survey group, whether they were sexually active directly predicted perceptions of general social norms and intention to have sex. Adolescents' perceptions of what significant others desired of them, but not their motivation to comply, predicted perceptions of general social norms about having sex. Results underscore the importance of social norms for Latina adolescents when they are considering whether or not to have sex.
Objective To determine whether parents who prefer a heavier child would underestimate their child... more Objective To determine whether parents who prefer a heavier child would underestimate their child's weight more than those who prefer a leaner child. Methods Participants were Mexican-American families (312 mothers, 173 fathers, and 312 children ages 8-10) who were interviewed and had height and weight measurements. Parents reported their preferred child body size and their perceptions of their child's weight. Parents' underestimation of their child's weight was calculated as the standardized difference between parent's perception of their child's weight and the child's body mass index (BMI) z-score. Demographic factors and parental BMI were also assessed. Results Although 50 % of children were overweight or obese, only 11 % of mothers and 10 % of fathers perceived their children as being somewhat or very overweight. Multiple regressions controlling for covariates (parental BMI and child age) showed that parents who preferred a heavier child body size und...
Background: The prevalence of obesity among Latino children is alarmingly high, when compared to ... more Background: The prevalence of obesity among Latino children is alarmingly high, when compared to non-Latino White children. Low-income Latino parents living in urban areas, even if they are well-educated, face obstacles that shape familial health behaviors. This study used qualitative methods to explore parents' experiences in providing meals and opportunities to play to their children aged 2 to 5 years. In contrast to most prior studies, this study examined perceptions of familial behaviors among both mothers and fathers. Methods: An ecological framework for exploring the associations of parental feeding behaviors and children's weight informed this study. An interview guide was developed to explore parents' experiences and perceptions about children's eating and physical activity and administered to six focus groups in a community-based organization in the Mission District of San Francisco. Transcripts were coded and analyzed. Twenty seven mothers and 22 fathers of Latino children ages 2 to 5 participated. Results: Mothers, fathers, and couples reported that employment, day care, neighborhood environments and community relationships were experienced, and perceived as obstacles to promoting health behavior among their children, including drinking water instead of soda and participating in organized playtime with other preschool-age children. Conclusions: Results from this study suggest that the parents' demographic, social and community characteristics influence what and how they feed their children, as well as how often and the types of opportunities they provide for physical activity, providing further evidence that an ecological framework is useful for guiding research with both mothers and fathers. Mothers and fathers identified numerous community and society-level constraints in their urban environments. The results point to the importance of standardized work hours, resources for day care providers, clean and safe streets and parks, strong community relationships, and reduced access to sugar-sweetened beverages in preventing the development of obesity in preschool-age Latino children.
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