title: Social and Environmental Determinants of Child Physical Activity in a Rural Mexican-Origin Community.
abstract: California's rural agricultural communities face an increased burden of obesity and metabolic disease. The present objective is to define the social and environmental influences to child obesity and physical activity within Mexican-origin communities in California's Central Valley. A range of data (anthropometric, socioeconomic, demographic, cultural and environmental) were collected on more than 650 children enrolled in Niños Sanos, Familia Sana. Physical activity data were gathered from a subsample of children 4-7 years of age (n = 148) via accelerometer. Cross sectional analyses explored the relationship between BMI and physical activity and the influence of numerous social and environmental variables. In this sample 45 % of children were determined to be overweight or obese. Boys had a higher daily average moderate-to-vigorous physical activity than girls (p = 0.008). Chi square analyses showed weight status was associated with activity level in girls (p = 0.03) but not boys. Multivariate regression revealed several social and environmental indicators influenced BMI and physical activity (p = 0.004). In this population of school-age children of Mexican-origin, girls may benefit more from targeted efforts to increase MVPA. Family and community support systems may also boost child participation in physical activities.
authors.affiliation: Foods for Health Institute, University of California, Davis, 2141 Robert Mondavi Institute, North, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA. seschaefer@ucdavis.edu.
authors.forename: Sara E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.affiliation: Center for Transnational Health, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gomez-Camacho
authors.affiliation: Center for Transnational Health, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Banafsheh
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sadeghi
authors.affiliation: Foods for Health Institute, University of California, Davis, 2141 Robert Mondavi Institute, North, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.|Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: J Bruce
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: German
authors.affiliation: Department of Chicano(a) Studies, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Adela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de la Torre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002140:California; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004779:Environment Design; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012424:Rural Population; D012931:Social Environment
keywords: Childhood obesity; Community health; Latino health; Physical activity