Predictors of Obesity in Latino Children: Acculturation as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Food Insecurity and Body Mass Index Percentile

As Latino children acculturate to the United States, they are at risk for excess weight gain. Existing literature suggests that higher levels of food insecurity may predict obesity, but the role of acculturation is not well understood. Latino children ages 2–17 of both immigrant and non-immigrant parents (n = 63) were recruited from a primary care clinic serving low income families. Child anthropometric measures, and parent acculturation and food insecurity measures were collected via self-administered questionnaires. Over 63% of the patients were either overweight or obese according to criteria established by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Regression analysis revealed acculturation as a significant moderating variable between food insecurity and BMI percentile, F(5,12) = 4.836, P = .017, R ² = .707 in children of Latino immigrants. The identification of this relationship may serve to facilitate in the development of future weight-gain prevention interventions in primary care settings within Latino immigrant populations.     

杭州市城区0-6岁儿童体质指数百分位分布研究

目的通过调查杭州市城区0-6岁儿童的身高、体重等体格发育资料,研究体质指数（BMI）百分位分布情况及曲线图,提供杭州0-6岁儿童体质指数的参考值。方法采用分层整群抽样方法,采集杭州市城区0-6岁儿童的身高、体重等资料进行BMI百分位分布情况及曲线图研究。结果杭州市男性儿童超重和肥胖的BMI百分位值随着年龄增长先下降后上升,在大年龄段4-6岁随着年龄增长而增长;女性儿童则基本随着年龄增长呈下降趋势,年龄越大趋势越缓。杭州市男童肥胖的流行水平可能高于女童。结论杭州市0-6岁儿童BMI标准的研究对于本市城区0-6岁儿童肥胖的界定、流行趋势及预防具有一定的参考价值。     

Validity of Self-Reported Anthropometric Values Used to Assess Body Mass Index and Estimate Obesity in Greek School Children

PurposeTo examine the validity of self-reported values of body height and weight, used for the estimation of body mass index (BMI), as a diagnostic method for the evaluation of overweight and obesity in Greek school children.MethodSelf-reported height and weight was recorded and then measured in 378 primary (mean age 11.4 ± .4 years) and 298 high school students (mean age 12.5 ± .3 years). The BMI cutoff points adopted by the International Obesity Task Force were used to compare prevalence estimates of overweight and obesity obtained from self-reported and actual measures.ResultsSignificant differences were found between self-reported and measured anthropometric indices in all subgroups, except for height in elementary school girls. The degree of self-report bias did not differ between genders; however, it was higher for high school students and heavier children, compared to elementary school pupils and lighter children, respectively. Based on self-reports, prevalence estimates were 23.1% for overweight and 4.3% for obesity, but according to measured data the corresponding rates were 28.8% and 9.5%, respectively.ConclusionsThe present findings imply that the observed discrepancy between self-reported and measured anthropometric data in Greek children and adolescents might lead to erroneous estimating rates of overweight and obesity. Although self-reported data are easy to obtain, health surveys of overweight and obesity in youth need valid and accurate procedures.     

Fruit and Vegetable Snack Consumption Among Children With a Body Mass Index at or Above the 75th Percentile

ObjectiveTo describe fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption as snacks and the association with diet quality and compare the snacking environment and child and parent characteristics between children who consumed FV as snacks and those who did not.MethodsThis secondary analysis study used baseline data from a healthy weight management study with 8- to 12-year-old children with a body mass index ≥75th percentile. Data collection included 24-hour dietary recalls, measured height/weight, and child and parent surveys.ResultsChildren (n = 119) consumed 0.1 cup equivalent per 1,000 kcal of FV as snacks, the equivalent of 16.9% of their daily FV consumption. More FV consumption as snacks occurred at home when a parent was present and was associated with higher parent support for FV consumption as snacks (P = 0.03).Conclusions and ImplicationsRenewed attention to strategies to promote FV consumption as snacks, especially at away-from-home locations, is merited.     

Project FIT: A School,Community and Social Marketing Intervention Improves Healthy Eating Among Low-Income Elementary School Children

Project FIT was a two-year multi-component nutrition and physical activity intervention delivered in ethnically-diverse low-income elementary schools in Grand Rapids, MI. This paper reports effects on children’s nutrition outcomes and process evaluation of the school component. A quasi-experimental design was utilized. 3rd, 4th and 5th-grade students (Yr 1 baseline: N = 410; Yr 2 baseline: N = 405; age range: 7.5–12.6 years) were measured in the fall and spring over the two-year intervention. Ordinal logistic, mixed effect models and generalized estimating equations were fitted, and the robust standard errors were utilized. Primary outcomes favoring the intervention students were found regarding consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grain bread during year 2. Process evaluation revealed that implementation of most intervention components increased during year 2. Project FIT resulted in small but beneficial effects on consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain bread in ethnically diverse low-income elementary school children.     

Multivitamin/Mineral Supplementation Does Not Affect Standardized Assessment of Academic Performance in Elementary School Children

Limited research suggests that micronutrient supplementation may have a positive effect on the academic performance and behavior of school-aged children. To determine the effect of multivitamin/mineral supplementation on academic performance, students in grades three through six (approximate age range=8 to 12 years old) were recruited from 37 parochial schools in northern New Jersey to participate in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted during the 2004-2005 academic school year. Participants were randomized to receive either a standard children's multivitamin/mineral supplement (MVM) or a placebo. MVM or placebo was administered in school only during lunch or snack period by a teacher or study personnel who were blinded to group assignment. The main outcome measured was change in scores on Terra Nova, a standardized achievement test administered by the State of New Jersey, at the beginning of March 2005 compared to March 2004. Compared with placebo, participants receiving MVM supplements showed no statistically significant improvement for Terra Nova National Percentile total scores by treatment assignment or for any of the subject area scores using repeated measures analysis of variance. No significant improvements were observed in secondary end points: number of days absent from school, tardiness, or grade point average. In conclusion, the in-school daily consumption of an MVM supplement by third- through sixth-grade inner-city children did not lead to improved school performance based upon standardized testing, grade point average, and absenteeism.     

Body Mass Index and Waist-to-Height Changes During Teen Years in Girls Are Influenced by Childhood Body Mass Index

PurposeThis study examined longitudinal changes in waist-to-height ratio and components of body mass index (BMI) among young and adolescent girls of black and white race/ethnicity.MethodsGirls were recruited at age 9 years through the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study (NGHS) and were followed annually over 10 years. Girls were grouped into low (<20^th percentile), middle, and high (>80^th percentile) BMI on the basis of race-specific BMI percentile rankings at age 9, and low, middle, and high waist-to-height ratio, on the basis of waist-to-height ratio at age 11. BMI was partitioned into fat mass index (FM) and fat-free mass index (FMI).ResultsGirls accrued fat mass at a greater rate than fat-free mass, and the ratio of fat mass to fat-free mass increased from ages 9 through 18. There was a significant increase in this ratio after age at peak height velocity. Participants with elevated BMI and waist-to-height ratios at age 18 tended to have been elevated at ages 9 and 11, respectively. There were strong correlations between BMI at age 9 with several outcomes at age 18: BMI (.76) and FMI (.72), weaker but significant with FFMI (.37), and ratio of fat mass to fat-free mass (.53). In addition, there was significant tracking of elevated BMI from ages 9 through 18.ConclusionsIn girls, higher BMI levels during childhood lead to greater waist-to-height ratios and greater than expected changes in BMI by age 18, with disproportionate increases in fat mass. These changes are especially evident in adolescent girls of black race/ethnicity and after the pubertal growth spurt.     

The Association Between Body Mass Index in Adolescence and Obesity in Adulthood

PURPOSE: This study used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1979 to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) in adolescence and obesity in adulthood. METHODS: Measurements of height and weight from 1981 and 2002 were used to calculate BMI for a cohort of 1309 adolescents at baseline and during adulthood. Associations between BMI at age 16/17 and obesity (BMI > or =30) at age 37/38 were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: When the predicted probability of adult obesity equaled 0.5, the point on the adolescent BMI distribution was close to the 85th percentile for both sexes (83rd percentile for females and 86th percentile for males). Among adolescents with a BMI in the 85th-<95th percentile, 62% of the males and 73% of the females became obese adults. Among those with a BMI > or =95th percentile, 80% of the males and 92% of the females became obese adults. Versus those with a BMI <85th percentile, those with a BMI in the 85th-<95th percentile were more likely to be obese (odds ratio = 7 for males, 11 for females) as adults, and those with a BMI > or =95th percentile were most likely to be obese (odds ratio = 18 for males, 49 for females) as adults. CONCLUSION: Adolescents with a BMI > or =85th percentile are at elevated risk for obesity in adulthood. To prevent the development of obesity and its associated health risks, population-based efforts combined with targeted interventions for these high-risk adolescents are needed.     

Dairy Calcium is Related to Changes in Body Composition during a Two-Year Exercise Intervention in Young Women

Objective: Relationships between micronutrients and dairy product intake and changes in body weight and composition over two years were investigated.

Design: Two year prospective non-concurrent analysis of the effect of calcium intake on changes in body composition during a two year exercise intervention.

Subjects: 54 normal weight young women, 18 to 31 years of age.

Measures of Outcome: Mean intakes of nutrients of interest were determined from three-day diet records completed at baseline and every six months for two years. The change in total body weight and body composition (assessed by dual x-ray absorptiometry) from baseline to two years was also determined.

Results: Total calcium/kilocalories and vitamin A together predicted (negatively and positively, respectively) changes in body weight (R² = 0.19) and body fat (R² = 0.27). Further, there was an interaction of calcium and energy intake in predicting changes in body weight, such that, only at lower energy intakes, calcium intake (not adjusted for energy) predicted changes in body weight.

Conclusions: Regardless of exercise group assignment, calcium adjusted for energy intake had a negative relationship and vitamin A intake a positive relationship with two year changes in total body weight and body fat in young women aged 18 to 31 years. Thus, subjects with high calcium intake, corrected by total energy intake, and lower vitamin A intake gained less weight and body fat over two years in this randomized exercise intervention trial.     

济南市7岁儿童BMI及体成分与血压水平的相关性分析

目的阐明儿童期BMI及体成分指数与血压水平的相关性,为成年期疾病的早期预防提供相关依据。方法对济南市910名7岁儿童进行身高、体重、血压和皮褶厚度测量,采用回归方程推算体脂比(BF%),计算脂肪组织指数(FMI)和非脂肪组织指数(FFMI)。结果 BMI,BF%,FMI,FFMI与收缩压和舒张压均呈一定程度正相关(P值均0.05),血压与FMI的相关性高于FFMI。高BMI、BF%百分位数组儿童的血压水平均显著高于低百分位数组(P值均0.05)。血压偏高的检出率为肥胖组超重组正常组消瘦组。结论儿童BMI及体成分指数与血压水平有显著的相关性。预防儿童高血压应从控制体脂肪、预防肥胖做起。     

Effect of Selected Family Variables on Social Preference, Academic Achievement and Self-Concept of Elementary School Children

This paper aims at studying the relative contribution of selected family variables on social preference, academic achievement and self-concept of elementary school children. An open-ended questionnaire based on family background information and two standardized tools: Peers Nomination Scale and Self-Concept Inventory were used to know the social preference and self-concept of children. The examination mark was taken to measure the pupil's academic achievement. No significant association was obtained between the selected family variables and children's social preference, academic achievement and self-concept in the present study.

However, the present study shows some positive indication towards the peers and the friends in developing the self-concept and its influence on the academic achievement of the elementary school children.     

大连市儿童青少年体重指数分布状况

目的探讨大连市儿童青少年体重指数的分布特征,为预防儿童青少年的超重、肥胖提供相关依据。方法整群抽取大连市区1635名儿童青少年进行身高和体重测量。按照中国肥胖问题工作组（WGOC）推荐的“中国儿童青少年超重、肥胖筛查BMI值分类标准”诊断超重与肥胖。结果大连市儿童青少年体重指数随着年龄的增加而增加,年龄越大BMI值越大;男生不同年龄、女生不同年龄BMI值之间差异有统计学意义;对同一年龄不同性别儿童青少年BMI值进行Z检验,结果表明除7岁、9岁年龄组外,其他年龄段男女生BMI值之间差异均有统计学意义,且男生BMI值均高于女生;不同年龄男生肥胖率变化趋势无明显的规律性,女生肥胖率在9岁后逐年下降,而超重率在10岁后却逐年上升。结论应重视儿童青少年超重、肥胖的预防工作。     

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Obesity of Rural and Urban Elementary School Children

Previous studies on the influence of a rural/urban setting on the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in children have not sufficiently controlled for socioeconomic status, race, gender, and perhaps, may not have included a representative sample of rural and urban children. This study compared the cardiovascular disease risk factors and rate of obesity of children living in rural and urban settings. It also determined the magnitude of the effect of the rural/urban setting on cardiovascular disease risk factors and obesity when controlling for race, socioeconomic status, and gender. The subjects were 2,113 third- and fourth-grade children; 962 from an urban setting and 1,151 from a rural setting. Height, weight, skinfolds, resting blood pressure, and total cholesterol levels were measured. Aerobic power (pVO2max) was estimated from cycle ergometry. Physical activity and smoking history were obtained from a questionnaire. Clustering analyses using adjustment for sample error indicated that total cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking, and physical activity levels of rural and urban children were not different (P > 0.10); however, body mass index and sum of skinfolds was greater for rural youth (P < 0.004). Logistic regression indicated that rural children had a 54.7 percent increased risk of obesity (P = 0.0001). This study's results indicate that, in children, a rural setting is associated with obesity, but not with the major risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease.