Individualized Tailor-Made Dietetic Intervention Program at Schools Enhances Eating Behaviors and Dietary Habits in Obese Hispanic Children of Low Socioeconomic Status

• Published in: TheScientificWorld 2014-01, Vol.2014 (2014), p.1-8
• Main Authors: Lamadrid-Zertuche, Ana C., Martinez, Ubaldo, Monsivais-Rodriguez, Fabiola, Gutierrez, Norma G., Moreno-Sànchez, Diana, Elizondo-Montemayor, Leticia, Hernandez-Torre, Martin M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Body mass index; Caloric Restriction; Caregivers; Child; Children; Children & youth; Clinical Study; Diabetes therapy; Diet; Diet, Fat-Restricted; Eating behavior; Education; Educational aspects; Educational programs; Feeding Behavior; Female; Food; Food habits; Health aspects; Health promotion; Hispanic people; Humans; Intervention; Male; Metabolism; Methods; Mexico - epidemiology; Nutrition research; Obesity; Obesity - diet therapy; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity - ethnology; Overweight; Parents & parenting; Pediatrics; Poverty; Respiratory distress syndrome; Schools; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomics
• ISSN: 2356-6140; 1537-744X; 1537-744X
• DOI: 10.1155/2014/484905

Hispanic children and those from low-socioeconomic status are predisposed to unhealthy eating habits and obesity. Aim. to implement an individualized, face-to-face, parent supported, and school-partnership dietetic intervention to promote healthy eating habits and decrease body mass index. Prospective school year dietetic intervention of 101 obese, Hispanic, low-socioeconomic school-age children representative of Monterrey, Mexico, consisted of anthropometrics, dietetic assessment, energy-restriction tailor-made daily menus, and parental education every three weeks. Student’s t -test was used for means comparison. A significant decrease was found in body mass index percentile ( 96.43 ± 3.32 to 93.42 ± 8.12 / P = 0.00 ) and energy intake/day of −755.7 kcal/day ( P = 0.00 ) . Among other energy dense foods with significant decline in servings/day and servings/week were processed meats ( 3.13 ± 1.43 to 2.19 ± 1.04 / P = 0.00 and 5.60 ± 1.75 to 4.37 ± 2.10 / P = 0.00 , resp.), saturated fat ( 1.47 ± 1.08 to 0.78 ± 0.79 / P = 0.00 and 2.19 ± 2.18 to 1.1 ± 1.36 / P = 0.00 ) , sweetened beverages ( 2.79 ± 1.99 to 1.42 ± 1.21 and 6.21 ± 1.72 to 3.89 ± 2.80 / P = 0.00 ) , and desserts and refined-grain bakery ( 1.99 ± 1.54 to 1.32 ± 1.59 and 2.85 ± 2.54 to 1.57 ± 2.20 / P = 0.00 ) . There was a significant increase in servings/day and servings/week of water ( 2.98 ± 2.02 to 4.91 ± 2.37 and 6.62 ± 2.03 to 6.87 ± 0.91 / P = 0.00 , resp.) and nutrient dense foods such as fruits ( 1 . 31 ± 0.89 to 1.66 ± 0.96 and 3.34 ± 2.24 to 4.28 ± 2.43 / P = 0.00 ) and fish and poultry ( 3.76 ± 2.15 to 4.54 ± 2.25 / P = 0.00 ) . This intervention created healthy eating habits and decreased body mass index in a high risk population. Trial registration number: NCT01925976.