Diet and food insufficiency among Hispanic youths: Acculturation and socioeconomic factors in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Abstract

Background: Low socioeconomic status is associated with poor diet, food insufficiency, and poor child health. Hispanic house-holds have disproportionately low incomes. Acculturation-related changes may augment the effects of poverty on children’s diet and health. Objective: The goal was to determine the associations that accul-turation, measured by parents ’ language use, and income have with dietary intakes and food insufficiency among Hispanic youths. Design: Data on 2985 Hispanic youths aged 4–16 y were from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988– 1994). Nutrient intake data were from one 24-h dietary recall. The analysis was controlled for demographic, socioeconomic, and pro-gram variables. Results: Parents ’ exclusive use of Spanish was associated in bivariate analyses with differences in intakes of energy, protein, sodium, and folate and in percentages of energy from fat and saturated fat. When other factors were controlled for, less accul-turation was associated with differences in intakes of energy and sodium and in percentages of energy from fat and saturated fat. Individuals in poorer households had higher intakes of energy, protein, sodium, and some micronutrients. Although not signifi-cant for all indicators of food insufficiency, consistent patterns showed that household food insufficiency decreased with less acculturation (odds ratio: 0.4; 95 % CI: 0.2, 0.7 for adult meal size reduced) and increased with low income [odds ratio: 5.9 (3.0, 11.7) for not enough food and 5.4 (2.2, 13.4) for child meal size reduced]. Conclusions: Both acculturation and poverty have roles in chil-dren’s diets and in household food insufficiency. Culturally spe-cific public health and nutrition education should complement efforts to improve the financial security of low-incom