title: Racial and ethnic differences associated with feeding- and activity-related behaviors in infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine parental reports of feeding and activity behaviors in a cohort of parents of 2-month-olds and how they differ by race/ethnicity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parents participating in Greenlight, a cluster, randomized trial of obesity prevention at 4 health centers, were queried at enrollment about feeding and activity behaviors thought to increase obesity risk. Unadjusted associations between race/ethnicity and the outcomes of interest were performed by using Pearson χ(2) and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Adjusted analyses were performed by using proportional odds logistic regressions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight hundred sixty-three parents (50% Hispanic, 27% black, 18% white; 86% Medicaid) were enrolled. Exclusive formula feeding was more than twice as common (45%) as exclusive breastfeeding (19%); 12% had already introduced solid food; 43% put infants to bed with bottles; 23% propped bottles; 20% always fed when the infant cried; 38% always tried to get children to finish milk; 90% were exposed to television (mean, 346 minutes/day); 50% reported active television watching (mean, 25 minutes/day); and 66% did not meet "tummy time" recommendations. Compared with white parents, black parents were more likely to put children to bed with a bottle (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.97, P < .004; bottle propping, aOR = 3.1, P < .001), and report more television watching (aOR = 1.6, P = .034). Hispanic parents were more likely than white parents to encourage children to finish feeding (aOR = 1.9, P = .007), bottle propping (aOR = 2.5, P = .009), and report less tummy time (aOR = 0.6, P = .037).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Behaviors thought to relate to later obesity were highly prevalent in this large, diverse sample and varied by race/ethnicity, suggesting the importance of early and culturally-adapted interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, and.
authors.forename: Eliana M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Perrin
authors.forename: Russell L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Rothman
authors.forename: Lee M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: Asheley C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.forename: Svetlana K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Eden
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shintani
authors.forename: Elizabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Throop
authors.forename: H Shonna
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D044465:White People
keywords: breastfeeding; feeding; infants; obesity; parenting; physical activity; television