Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic, and the rates are disproportionately higher in minorities. Clinical guidelines have contributed to decreased prevalence overall, but the rates in Hispanic preschoolers have increased.
Method:
This review of the literature summarizes the perceptions and beliefs of caregivers of Hispanic preschool children regarding weight status and feeding behaviors, as well as the perceived cultural barriers to guideline adherence. A search of the CINAHL, PubMed, Joanna Briggs, and Global Health databases identified studies performed between January 1, 2008, and April 1, 2016. Search terms included Hispanics, guideline adherence, gap, barriers, obesity, overweight, and attitude to obesity.
Results:
Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria, including some about Hispanic caregivers of preschool-aged children. Several cultural perceptions and beliefs were identified.
Conclusion:
Further study is needed to develop more culturally relevant and sensitive guidelines and to design specific and effective interventions for this population.
American Diabetes Association. (2016). Standards of medical care in diabetes—2015. Diabetes Care, 39(1), S1–S93. doi:10.2337/dc15-S001
2.
AugustG. P.CaprioS.FennoyI.FreemarkM.KaufmanF. R.LustigR. H.…MontoriV. M. (2008). Prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity: An endocrine society clinical practice guideline based on expert opinion. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 93, 4576–4579. doi:10.1210/jc.2007-2458
BarloweS. E., & The Expert Committee. (2007). Expert committee recommendations regarding the prevention, assessment, and treatment of child and adolescent overweight and obesity: Summary report. Pediatrics, 120, S164–S192.
5.
BenderM. S.ClarkM. J. (2013). Cultural adaptation for ethnic diversity: A review of obesity interventions for preschool children. California Journal of Health Promotion, 9(2), 40–60.
6.
BenderM. S.NaderP. R.KennedyC.GahaganS. (2013). A culturally appropriate intervention to improve health behaviors in Hispanic mother-child dyads. Childhood Obesity, 9, 157–163. doi:10.1089/chi.2012.0118
7.
BerryD.ColindresM.Sanchez-LugoL.SanchezM.NealM.Smith-MillerC. (2011). Adapting, feasibility testing, and pilot testing a weight management intervention for recently immigrated Spanish-speaking women and their 2- to 4-year-old children. Hispanic Health Care International, 9, 186–193. doi:10.1891/1540-4153.9.4.186
8.
BlewettL. A.JohnsonP. J.MachA. L. (2010). Immigrant children’s access to health care: Differences by global region of birth. Journal for Healthcare of the Poor and Underserved, 21(2), 13–31.
9.
CastroD. C.SamuelsM.HarmanA. E. (2013). Growing healthy kids: A community based garden intervention program. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 44, S193–S199. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2012.11.024
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Vital signs: Obesity among low income, preschool-aged children—United States, 2008-2011. MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 62(31), 629–634.
ChaparroM. P.LangellierB. A.KimL. P.WhaleyS. E. (2012). Predictors of accurate maternal perception of their preschool child’s weight status among Hispanic WIC participants. Obesity, 19, 2026–2030.
15.
DixonB.PeñaM. M.TaverasE. M. (2012). Lifecourse approach to racial/ethnic disparities in childhood obesity. Advances in Nutrition, 3, 73–82. doi:10.3945/an.111.000919
16.
ElderJ. P.ArredondoE. M.CampbellN.BaqueroB.DuerksenS.AyalaG.…McKenzieT. (2010). Individual, family and environmental correlates of obesity in Latino elementary school children. Journal of School Health, 80(1), 1–30.
17.
EvansA.SethJ. G.SmithS.HarrisK. K.LoyoJ.SpauldingC.…GottliebN. (2011). Parental feeding practices and concerns related to child underweight, picky eating, and using food to calm differ according to ethnicity/race, acculturation, and income. Journal of Maternal Child Health, 15, 899–909.
18.
FitzgibbonM. L.StolleyM. R.SchifferL.KongA.BraunschweigC. L.Gomer-PerezS. L.…DyerA. R. (2013). Family-based hip-hop to health: Outcome results. Obesity21, 274–283. doi:10.1002/oby.20269
19.
GallagherM. R. (2010). Maternal perspectives on lifestyle habits that put children of Mexican descent at risk for obesity. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 15(1), 16–25. doi:10.1111/j.1744-6155.2009.00213.x
20.
GlennyA. M.O’MearaS.MelvilleA.SheldonT. A.WilsonC. (1997). The treatment and prevention of obesity: A systematic review of the literature. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Orders, 21, 715–737.
21.
GlassmanM. E.FigueroaM.IrigoyenM. (2011). Latino parents’ perceptions of their ability to prevent obesity in their children. Family & Community Health, 34(1), 4–16. doi:10.1097/FCH.0b013e3181fdeb7e
22.
GuerreroA.SlusserW.BarretoP.RosalesN.KuoA. (2011). Latina mothers’ perceptions of healthcare professional weight assessments of preschool-aged children. Maternal & Child Health Journal, 15, 1308–1315. doi:10.1007/s10995-010-0683-7
23.
JamesK. S.ConnellyC. D.GraciaL.MarenoN.BaiettoJ. (2010). Ways to enhance children’s activity and nutrition (WE CAN): A pilot project with Latina mothers. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 15, 292–300. doi:10.1111/j.1744-6155.2010.00252.x
24.
KerseyM.LiptonR.QuinnM. T.LantosJ. D. (2010). Overweight in Latino preschoolers: Do parental health beliefs matter?American Journal of Health Behavior, 34, 340–348.
25.
KornidesM. L.KitsantasP.YangY. T.VillarruelA. M. (2011). Factors associated with obesity in Latino children: A review of the literature. Hispanic Health Care International, 9, 127–136. doi:10.1891/1540-4153.9.3.127
26.
LindsayA. C.SussnerK. M.GreaneyM. L.PetersonK. E. (2011). Latina mothers’ beliefs and practices related to weight status, feeding, and the development of child overweight. Public Health Nursing, 28, 107–118. doi:10.1111/j.1525-1446.2010.00906.x
27.
LowensteinL. M.PerrinE. M.BerryD.VuM. B.Pullen DavisL.CaiJ.…AmmermanA. S. (2013). Childhood obesity prevention: Fathers’ reflections with healthcare providers. Childhood Obesity, 9, 137–143. doi:10.1089/chi.2012.0111
28.
MayA. L.DonohueM.ScanlonK. S.SherryB.DaleniusK.FaulknerP.BirchL. L. (2007). Child-feeding strategies are associated with maternal concern about children becoming overweight, but not children’s weight status. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 107, 1167–1174.
29.
MayA. L.FreemanD.SherryB.BlackH. M. (2013). Obesity—United States, 1999-2010. MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 62(3), 120–128.
30.
OgdenC. L.FlegalK. M. (2011). Childhood obesity: Are we all speaking the same language?American Society for Nutrition: Advances in Nutrition, 2, 159S–166S. doi:10.3945/an.111.00030
31.
OgdenC. L.CarrollM. D.KitB. K.FlegalK. M. (2014). Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012. Journal of the American Medical Association, 311, 806–814.
32.
OgdenC. L.LambM. M.CarrollM. D.FlegalK. M. (2010). Obesity and socioeconomic status in children and adolescents: Unites States 2005-2008 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 51). Retrieved fromhttp://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db51.pdf
33.
ParkM. H.FalconerC.VinerR. M.KinraS. (2012). The impact of childhood obesity on morbidity and mortality in adulthood: A systematic review. Obesity Reviews, 13, 985–1000. doi:10.1111/j.1467-789X.2012.01015.x
34.
PolitD. E.BeckC. T. (2008). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
35.
ReillyJ. J.KellyJ.WilsonD. C. (2010). Accuracy of simple clinical and epidemiological definitions of childhood obesity: Systematic review and evidence appraisal. Obesity Reviews, 11, 645–655. doi:10.1111/j.1467-789X.2009.00709.x
36.
RosadoJ. I.JohnsonS. B.McGinnityK. A.CuevasJ. P. (2013). Obesity among Latino children within a migrant farmworker community. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 44, S274–S281. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2012.11.019
37.
RosasL. G.HarleyK. G.GuendelmanS.FernaldL. C.MejiaF.EskenaziB. (2010). Maternal perception of childhood weight among Mexicans in California and Mexico. Journal of Maternal Child Health, 14, 886–894. doi:10.1007/s10995-009-0534-6
38.
RuizR.GesellS. B.BuchowskiW. L.BarkinS. L. (2011). The relationship between Hispanic parents and their preschool-aged children’s physical activity. Pediatrics, 127, 888–895.
39.
SmallL.MelnykB. M.Anderson-GiffordD.HamplJ. S. (2009). Exploring the meaning of excess child weight and health: Shared viewpoints of Mexican parents of preschool children. Pediatric Nursing, 35, 357–366.
40.
SosaE. T. (2012). Mexican American mothers’ perceptions of childhood obesity: A theory-guided systematic literature review. Health Education Behavior, 39, 396–404. doi:10.1177/1090198111398129
41.
StarkL. J.CliffordL. M.TownerE. K.FilignoS. S.ZionC.BollingC.RauschJ. (2014). A pilot randomized controlled trail of behavioral family-based intervention with and without home visits to decrease obesity in preschoolers. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 39, 1001–1012. doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsuo5
42.
ThompsonM. E. (2010). Parental feeding and childhood obesity in preschool-age children: Recent findings from the literature. Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing, 33, 205–267. doi:10.3109/01460862.2010.530057
43.
ValdesX. L.NotaM. F.FrancoS. M. (2009). Parental perception of children’s weight as a function of ethnicity/race, gender and age. Journal of Kentucky Medical Association, 107, 485–489.
44.
VollmerR. L.MobleyA. R. (2013). A pilot study to explore how low-income mothers of different ethnic/racial backgrounds perceive and implement recommended childhood obesity prevention messages. Childhood Obesity, 9, 261–267.
45.
WardC. L. (2008). Parental perceptions of childhood overweight in the Mexican American population: An integrative review. Journal of School Nursing, 24, 407–416. doi:10.1177/1059840508324555
46.
WatersE.De Silva-SanigorskiA.BurfordB. J.BrownT.CampbellK. JGaoY.…SummerbellC. D. (2011). Interventions for preventing obesity in children. Cochrane Library, 12, 1–224. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001871.pub3
47.
White House Task Force. (2010). Solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation(Whitehouse Task Force on Childhood Obesity Report to the President). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
48.
WileyJ. F.CloutierM. M.WakefieldD. B.HernandezD. B.GrantA.BeaulieuA.GorinA. A. (2014). Acculturation determines BMI percentile and noncore food intake in Hispanic children. Journal of Nutrition, 144, 305–310.
49.
YinZ.Parra-MedinaD.CordovaA.HeM.TrummerV.SosaE.…RamirezA. (2012). Míranos! Look at us, we are healthy! An environmental approach to early childhood obesity prevention. Childhood Obesity, 8, 429–439. doi:10.1089/chi.2012.0125
