Childhood Risk Reduction Program in Hispanics

Childhood obesity is a serious problem in the United States, as it increases the risk for various cardiometabolic, pulmonary, and psychosocial complications for children, which often continue into adulthood. Examination of disparities in early childhood obesity among ethnic groups shows that Hispanic infants/children have higher rates of overweight and obesity than children/infants of other races/ethnicities. According to the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2014), the prevalence of high weight for recumbent length (≥95th percentile) among infant and toddlers from birth to 2 years was 6.6% in Whites, 8.4% in Blacks, and 9.4% in Hispanics. Furthermore, the percentages of children ages 2 through 5 years who are overweight or obese (Body Mass Index \[BMI\] ≥ 85th) were 20.9% among non-Hispanic Whites, 21.9% among non-Hispanic Blacks, and 29.8% among Hispanics. These data suggest that ethnic disparities in childhood obesity prevalence have their origins in the earliest stages of life. Bergmann et al. reported that infants that received early formula artificial feeding by 3 months had significantly higher BMIs and thicker skin fold than exclusively breastfed infants, and from 6 months on, compared with breastfed children, a consistently higher proportion of artificially-fed children exceeded the 90th and 97th percentile of BMI and skin folder thickness reference values. Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), defined as exclusive infant feeding with breast milk without any additional food or drink, is the feeding option engendering greatest nutrition and health, imparting enhanced glucose management and reductions in early childhood obesity. Hispanic mothers in the U.S. are more likely to supplement with formula in the first 2 days of life, compared with Black and White U.S. mothers (Hispanic 33%; Black 28%; White 22%). Additionally, a common feeding practice among Hispanic mothers is the early introduction of solids including ethnic food. The intro