Socio-Cultural, Organizational, and Community Level Influences on Physical Activity Levels of Latino Preschool-Age Children: A Qualitative Study
- 1. Exercise and Health Sciences Department, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- 2. Kinesiology Department, College of Human Sciences and Services, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, 02881
- 3. Department of Oncological Sciences, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1130, New York, NY, USA
- 4. Curamericas Global, Inc., Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- 5. Human Nutrition, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Description
Objectives: As more children grow up in families with immigrant parents of Latino origin, there is a need to
understand key influences on physical activity behaviors of young Latino children to prevent obesity in this high-risk
group.
Design: We conducted six focus groups with low-income Latina mothers (N = 33) whose preschool-aged children (2-5
years) were enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program in Rhode
Island. Data was analyzed using content analysis to identify recurrent themes.
Results: Despite understanding the importance of physical activity for overall health, physical activity was not a top
priority for the Latino mothers participating in the focus groups. Mothers reported facing numerous barriers to
establishing and maintaining healthful physical activity habits for their preschool-aged children and themselves,
particularly financial and socio-cultural barriers. Analyses revealed that Latina mothers perceive the WIC as a program
focused on the development and maintenance of healthy eating habits and nutritional status of children and not physical
activity.
Conclusions: Recognizing the importance of socioeconomic position and the influence of cultural factors on physical
activity is essential if effective prevention and intervention programs for Latino families and their children are to be
designed. Study findings emphasize the importance of the family as a central unit of change and suggest that successful
interventions to promote physical activity of low-income Latino preschool children must take into account the needs and
constraints of the family unit as a whole. The WIC program has the potential to be a venue for promoting awareness of
and educating low-income Latino parents about the importance of helping their children develop and maintain early
healthful physical activity habits. The WIC program can also play an important role in facilitating access and creating
programs and services that provide increased opportunities for physical activity of young children and their families.
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References
- Ennis S, Rios-Vargas M, Albert N. The Hispanic Population. 2010 Census Briefs. 2011 May; [cited 2013 December 14]; C2010BR-04. Available from: http://www.census.gov/prod/ cen2010/briefs/c2010br-04.pdf
- Polhamus B, Dalenius K, Thompson D, Scanlon K, Borland E, Smith B, Grummer-Strawn L. Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance 2002 Report. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2004; [cited 2013 October 12]; Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/pednss/pdfs/PedNSS_2002_Summary.p df
- Institute of Medicine. Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance, Washington DC: National Academies Press 2005.