title: Latina mothers' beliefs and practices related to weight status, feeding, and the development of child overweight.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine maternal beliefs and practices related to weight status, child feeding, and child overweight in the Latino culture that may contribute to the rising rates of overweight among preschool Latino children in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  This 2-phase qualitative study relies on data obtained in 6 focus groups with a total of 31 primarily Spanish-speaking, low-income mothers, followed by 20 individual, in-depth interviews with women participating in a health promotion educational program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Child-feeding beliefs, practices, and weight status perceptions were elicited.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The findings indicated that most respondents reported personal struggles with weight gain, particularly during and after pregnancy, and were concerned that their children would become obese. Although subjects understood the health and social consequences related to overweight, many discussed the pressures of familial and cultural influences endorsing a "chubby child."
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Education and interventions that incorporate "culturally mediated" pathways to address mothers' feeding practices are essential for the prevention and control of childhood overweight among low-income Latinos. Nurses should be aware of the social and cultural influences on Latina mothers' beliefs and practices related to weight status and feeding practices and address these in their education approaches to prevent childhood overweight and obesity with this population group.
authors: Public Health Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. alindsay@hsph.harvard.edu
authors: Ana C
authors: AC
authors: Lindsay
authors: Katarina M
authors: KM
authors: Sussner
authors: Mary L
authors: ML
authors: Greaney
authors: Karen E
authors: KE
authors: Peterson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006304:Health Status; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D011634:Public Health; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012938:Social Perception; D014481:United States; D015430:Weight Gain; D055815:Young Adult