Dietary Behaviors and Obesity of Children From Low-Income Households by Gender of Caregiver and Child.

To investigate the empirical support for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education's (SNAP-Ed) focus on mothers versus fathers by examining children's risk and protective behaviors for obesity, and obesity status, by gender of primary caregiver and by caregiver-by-child gender dyads. Cross-sectional survey. Random sample of SNAP-Ed eligible households (≤ 185% of the federal poverty level) across California. 2,242 children and their caregivers (17.8% male): the adult who prepares the meals or buys the food for the children. Cups of fruits and vegetables, water, sugar-sweetened beverages; teaspoons of added sugars; kilocalories; and food-only energy density, assessed through 24-hour dietary recall interviews. Dichotomous outcome was childhood obesity. Covariates were children's race/ethnicity and age, and caregivers' obesity status. Only one outcome was related to caregiver gender: male versus female caregivers' children consumed fewer kilocalories (P = 0.053). Caregiver-by-child gender analyses revealed female caregivers' sons consumed more kilocalories overall (Ps < 0.02), and added sugars than female caregivers' daughters (P = 0.001) and male caregivers' sons (P = 0.018). Female caregivers' daughters versus sons reported diets lower in food-only energy density (P = 0.004) and were less likely to be obese (23.7% versus 28.7%; aOR = 0.78, P = 0.035). Our findings suggest that SNAP-Ed's focus on mothers rather than fathers is justified, but more effective childhood nutrition education and obesity prevention efforts should target families with female caregivers of male children.

Citation

Fred Molitor, Celeste Doerr. Dietary Behaviors and Obesity of Children From Low-Income Households by Gender of Caregiver and Child. American journal of health promotion : AJHP. 2021 Mar;35(3):434-437

Mesh Tags

PMID: 33043674

search → result