title: Child feeding practices and overweight status among Mexican immigrant families.
abstract: The purpose was to compare maternal perceptions, feeding practices, and overweight status of children in immigrant households in California (US) with a cohort in Guanajuato, Mexico (MX). In 2006, staff interviewed mothers and weighed and measured their children, 1-6 years (US: n = 95 and MX: n = 200). Prevalence of overweight [body mass index z-score (BMIZ) >1.0 and <1.65] and obesity (BMIZ > 1.65) was 21.1 and 28.4% in the US respectively, compared to 11.5 and 12.9% in MX (p < 0.001). No differences were observed in maternal ability to identify correctly the child's weight status or ever being told the child was overweight. US children ate away from home more often (p < 0.0001), had fewer family meals (p < 0.0001), and played outdoors less often than MX children (p < 0.0002). Further analyses should examine how differences in eating and activity patterns explain the disparity in childhood obesity across the countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Nutrition, University of Guanajuato, Blvd. Puente del Milenio #1001 Fracción del Predio de San Carlos, 37670, León, Guanajuato, Mexico, vebe69@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Luz Elvia
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Vera-Becerra
authors.forename: Martha L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Lucia L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Kaiser
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002140:California; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000208:ethnology*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D063105:Food Assistance; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology; D050177:Overweight / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors