Similarity Of Maternal And Child Dietary Intakes Among Hispanic Families In Southeastern Pennsylvania

Mia PapasChildhood obesity is a serious crisis in the United States and is disproportionately affecting minorities. Compared to only 28.5% of white adolescents, 38.9% of Hispanic adolescents are overweight or obese indicating a need for immediate action.1 As parents are the primary decision makers of their children’s dietary intakes, it is necessary to understand what food choices parents are making for themselves and their children and what factors are influencing this relationship. As part of a larger cross-sectional study, this investigation aimed to understand the dietary intakes of 31 Hispanic mother-child dyads in Southern Chester County Pennsylvania. Twenty-four hour dietary recalls were used to measure dietary intakes among the population and bivariate analysis and regression modeling methods were used to assess the relationship between mother and child diet. The dietary intakes and mother-child diet similarity were then examined with respect to acculturation, food security, and participation in food assistance programs. Consistent with previous findings, Hispanic children and women were not meeting most recommended dietary intakes and are experiencing high rates of overweight and obesity, with 42% of children and 81% of mothers in this sample classified as overweight or obese. Overall, our study found that the diets of the mothers had minimal modeling effects on the diets of their children (majority of p > 0.05), and that the diets of the children were mainly constrained by food availability. Future interventions should focus on increasing access and availability of healthy foods to low income and immigrant families.Biological Science