Study: Young Latino Children More Likely to Be Obese

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Editor’s Note: This is a 20-part series featuring new research briefs on Latino childhood obesity, nutrition, physical activity and more by the 20 grantees of Salud America! Part 17 is Dr. Claudia Galindo. Find all briefs here.

Claudia Galindo
“Obesity Among Young Latino Children: Disparities and Changes Over Time”

In her Salud America! pilot research project, Dr. Claudia Galindo of the University of Maryland studied factors and behaviors that may affect weight, nutrition and physical activity among Latino youth.

Key preliminary findings include:

• Latino children are more likely to be obese than White and Asian children at all points of observation;
• among Latino children from different countries and regions of origin, Central American, Puerto Rican and Mexican children have the highest obesity levels; and
• rates of obesity among Latino children decrease as socioeconomic status (SES) increases.

These preliminary results indicate that, from kindergarten through 5th grade, Latino children were more likely than their White peers to be obese, and these disparities increased with age.

Read more here.

Salud America! is an RWJF national program directed by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.