Prevalence of healthy diet and activity behaviours among U.S. Latino preschool children living in an emerging Latino community.

This pilot study provides preliminary insights into whether Latino preschool children living in an emerging Latino community (ELC) are meeting recommendations for healthy diet and activity behaviours and whether those behaviours are associated with sociodemographic or home environment variables. Secondary data analysis was conducted utilising cross-sectional baseline survey data from ANDALE Pittsburgh, a home-based intervention study. Measures included parent-reported information on child dietary intake, screen time and the home environment, and objectively measured physical activity and anthropometry. χ2 and Fischer's exact tests were used to determine associations. The study was conducted in an ELC in western Pennsylvania in the US. Fifty-one Latina mothers (age: 33⋅5 ± 6⋅1 years; 63 % Mexican origin; 86 % low acculturation) and their children (age: 3⋅9 ± 1⋅3 years; 55 % male) 2-5 years of age. On average, children consumed 2⋅25 ± 1⋅44 cups of fruits/vegetables, viewed 98⋅7 ± 74⋅2 min of screen time, accumulated 12⋅9 ± 2⋅9 min/h of total physical activity and consumed 15⋅5 ± 26⋅0 kcals of sugar-sweetened beverages per day. Forty-one percent met the fruit/vegetable recommendation, 54 % met the screen time recommendation, 27 % met the physical activity recommendation and 58 % met the sugary drink recommendation. Country of origin (P = 0⋅032) and acculturation (P = 0⋅048) were significantly associated with children meeting sugary drink recommendations. No other relationships were significant. The proportion of children in this sample meeting diet and activity recommendations was mixed. More research with larger sample sizes is needed in ELCs to identify effective intervention strategies for improving health behaviours.

Generational Status, Language Use, Parental Limit Setting, and Screen Time in US Latinx Children.

Latinx children engage in excessive screen time and are disproportionately affected by obesity. We examined the effect of generational status and language use on screen time in 6- to 11-year-old Latinx children and whether parental limit setting mediated that relationship. Participants included 3127 children (aged 9.2 ± 2.0 years; 54% male) from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health. Spanish language use was associated with 14.0 more minutes per day of screen time (P = .038); parental limit setting partially mediated this relationship (11.4%). Future research should explore the protective role of parental limit setting in reducing screen time in Latinx children.