Somali, Latino and Hmong parents’ perceptions and approaches about raising healthy-weight children: a community-based participatory research study

Immigrants in the USA are confronted with health disparities, including childhood obesity and obesity-related chronic diseases. We aimed to identify perceptions of childhood body weight, approaches to raising healthy children and desires for supportive programmes of Somali, Latino and Hmong (SLM) pa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Public health nutrition Vol. 21; no. 6; pp. 1079 - 1093
Main Authors:	Arcan, Chrisa, Culhane-Pera, Kathleen A, Pergament, Shannon, Rosas-Lee, Maira, Xiong, Mai Bao
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01-04-2018
Subjects:	Adolescent Adult Age Behavioural nutrition Body Weight Child Child, Preschool Children China - ethnology Chronic illnesses Community involvement Community participation Demographics Emigrants and Immigrants - statistics & numerical data Ethnicity - statistics & numerical data Exercise Female Focus Groups Food Food preferences Health Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Humans Immigrants Latin America - ethnology Male Middle Aged Noncitizens Norms Obesity Overweight Overweight - ethnology Overweight - prevention & control Parenting - ethnology Parents Participatory research Physical activity Research Papers Socioeconomic factors Somalia - ethnology Studies Traditional foods Traditions Womens health Young Adult Somalia China Latin America United States > US Minnesota Somali, Latino (Hispanic) and Hmong Immigrant families Cultural norms Physical activity Eating behaviours Overweight and obesity Latino (Hispanic) and Hmong Somali
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Summary:	Immigrants in the USA are confronted with health disparities, including childhood obesity and obesity-related chronic diseases. We aimed to identify perceptions of childhood body weight, approaches to raising healthy children and desires for supportive programmes of Somali, Latino and Hmong (SLM) parents in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA. Using community-based participatory research, ten focus groups (FG) were conducted with sixty-seven parents (n 28 Somali, three FG; n 19 Latino, four FG; n 20 Hmong, three FG) of 3-12-year-old children in their native language. Demographic information was collected. SLM parents perceived that health is not necessarily weight-based; childhood obesity is caused by overeating, eating unhealthy foods and sedentary activities; traditional foods are generally healthy while American foods are generally unhealthy; and healthy children are inherently physically active. Parents identified their goals as feeding children so they would be healthy and happy, helping them be active and safe, and teaching them to cook traditional foods to be self-sufficient and maintain their cultural identity. Parents were challenged by children's unhealthy food and sedentary preferences, their own uncertainties about healthy foods and behaviours, and structural factors. Parents thought interventions could help them with these challenges, including information about healthy foods, age-appropriate portion sizes, safe places to be active and strategies tailored to their cultural norms. SLM parents are trying to raise healthy-weight children based on their understanding of children's health, weight, diet and physical activity, while dealing with social, economic and environmental challenges and trying to maintain cultural identity and traditions.
ISSN:	1368-9800 1475-2727
DOI:	10.1017/S1368980017001719