Nutrition provided to Mexican-American preschool children on the Texas-Mexico border.
The purpose of this study was to assess whether nutrients offered to border Mexican-American preschool children met the Recommended Dietary Allowances. Nutrient contents of two dietary patterns were examined in this study, one composed exclusively of home foods and one containing a combination of both home and school foods. The sample consisted of 198 Mexican-American preschoolers living on the Texas-Mexico border, who were recruited using a convenience sampling technique. A self-administered, precoded 24-hour recall questionnaire was used. Nutrient values of home foods were collected during a weekend day, and nutrient values containing a combination of both home and school foods were collected during a weekday. Fisher's exact test or chi2 test and t test were used for analyses. Mean nutrient contents of foods provided to the border Mexican-American children exceeded recommendations for total energy (P<0.001), total fat (P<0.001), saturated fat (P<0.001), carbohydrates (P<0.001), protein (P<0.001), sodium (P<0.001), and niacin (P<0.001). Foods offered were also significantly insufficient in fiber (P<0.001), vitamin A (P<0.001), and potassium (P<0.001). Nutrition interventions targeting low-income border Mexican-American families should emphasize the need and importance of providing children with diets that meet the Recommended Dietary Allowances.
Mier
Nelda
N
Social and Behavioral Health, South Texas Center School of Rural Public Health, Health Science Center, Texas A&M University System, Temple, USA. nmier@srph.tamhsc.edu
Piziak
Veronica
V
Kjar
Dean
D
Castillo-Ruiz
Octelina
O
Velazquez
Gonzalo
G
Alfaro
Maria E
ME
Ramirez
Jose A
JA
D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005504:Food Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D009753:Nutritive Value; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012578:Schools, Nursery; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013781:Texas
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D018977:Micronutrients