Feeding styles and evening family meals among recent immigrants.

The protective effect of family meals on unhealthy weight gain and diet has been shown across multiple age groups; however, it is unknown whether a similar effect is present among diverse immigrant populations. In addition, little research has focused on factors associated with the frequency of evening family meals, such as feeding styles (how parents interact with their child around feeding). Therefore the goals of this paper are to explore the 1) association between the frequency of evening family meals and child weight status among new immigrant families, and 2) influence of immigrant mothers' feeding styles on the frequency of evening family meals. Baseline self-reported socio-demographic information and measured heights and weights were collected for both mother and child (age range: 3­12 years) among 387 mother-child dyads enrolled in Live Well, a community-based, participatory-research, randomized controlled lifestyle intervention to prevent excessive weight gain in recent (<10 years in the U.S.) immigrant mothers and children. For children, height and weight measurements were transformed into BMI z-scores using age-and sex-specific CDC standards and categorized as overweight (85th­94th percentile) and obese (≥95th percentile); mothers' BMI was calculated. Frequency of evening family meals, eating dinner in front of the TV, acculturation and responses to the Caregiver's Feeding Styles Questionnaire (CFSQ) were also obtained from the mother. Children were categorized as "eating evening family meals regularly" if they had an evening family meal ≥5 times per week. Overall, 20% of children were overweight and 25% were obese. Less than half (40.9%) of families had regular evening family meals. In multivariate analyses, adjusting for covariates, children who were overweight/obese were significantly less likely to have ≥5 evening family meals/week compared with normal weight children (OR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.32-0.82) . Mothers who had a low demanding/high responsive or a low demanding/low responsive feeding style, were less likely to have ≥5 evening family meals/week compared to mothers with a high demanding/high responsive feeding style (OR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.18-0.0.96, OR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.13-0.87, respectively). Future interventions and programs that seek to help parents establish healthy household routines, such as family meals, may consider tailoring to specific maternal feeding styles.

Occupational Physical Activity and Weight-Related Outcomes in Immigrant Mothers.

INTRODUCTION: New immigrants are likely to be employed in occupations that provide physical activity; however, these positions may place workers at risk for adverse health outcomes. Relationships between occupational physical activity (OPA); weight-related behaviors; obesity; and depression remain underexplored among recent immigrants. METHODS: Participants (N=385) were Brazilian, Haitian, and Latino mothers enrolled in a community-based participatory research lifestyle intervention among immigrant mothers (<10 years in U.S.). Baseline BMI was calculated using objectively measured height and weight. Self-reported baseline data included sociodemographics; physical activity (Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire); depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale); and prepared food purchasing frequency. Logistic regression models estimated the odds of obesity (BMI ≥30.0); high depressive symptoms (score ≥16); and purchasing prepared foods (≥1 times/week) by OPA quartile. Models adjusted for covariates, including household composition, origin group, maternal age, education, household income, and recruitment year (2010, 2011). Data were analyzed in 2013. RESULTS: Employed participants (49%) primarily worked as domestic workers, nursing assistants, and food service staff. In adjusted models, women in the highest OPA quartile versus lowest had 65% lower obesity odds (95% CI=0.16, 0.76) and approximately twice the odds of presenting high depressive symptoms (2.01, 95% CI=1.02, 4.27) and purchasing takeout food (1.85, 95% CI=0.90, 3.90), which was attenuated after adjusting for income and education (unadjusted OR=1.98, 95% CI=1.10, 3.52). CONCLUSIONS: OPA contributes to energy expenditure and may protect against obesity among new immigrant mothers; however, it is also associated with high depressive symptoms. Implications for physical and psychosocial well-being are mixed.

Población de difícil acceso: recogida de datos de actividad física mediante acelerómetro en nuevos inmigrantes / No disponible

El sobrepeso y la obesidad aumentan en función del tiempo de estancia en el país de acogida de la población inmigrante; por tanto, es crucial entender los estilos de vida de las poblaciones de alto riesgo con el fin de abordar los factores de riesgo modificables. Los patrones de actividad física de los niños inmigrantes supone una incógnita, y la recogida de datos en estas poblaciones es difícil. Esta nota de campo pretende expresar la experiencia aprendida en la toma de datos de actividad física mediante acelerómetros en las diferentes cohortes del estudio Live Well, que pretende reducir la incidencia del sobrepeso en la población inmigrante. Los resultados de la experiencia indican que en estas poblaciones deben mantenerse escrupulosamente los criterios de información sobre los instrumentos a utilizar a fin de evitar el mal uso de estos instrumentos y que la recogida de datos tenga éxito (AU)

Overweight and obesity increase with the length of stay in the host country of immigrants, therefore, is crucial to understand the lifestyles of high-risk populations in order to address the modifiable risk factors. Physical activity patterns of immigrant children are unknown and data collection in these populations is difficult. This field note is intended to express the experience learned in the data collection of physical activity using accelerometers in different cohorts of Live Well study, which aims to reduce the incidence of overweight in immigrant population. The results of the experiment indicate that these populations must be scrupulously informed on these tools to avoid misuse of these instruments and data collection is successful (AU)