Level of agreement between objectively determined body composition and perceived body image in 6- To 8-year-old South African children- To Body Composition-Isotope Technique study

To assess the level of agreement between body size self-perception and actual body size determined by body mass index (BMI) z-score and body fatness measured by the deuterium dilution method (DDM) in South African children aged 6-8 years. A cross-sectional sample of 202 children (83 boys and 119 girls) aged 6-8 years from the Body Composition-Isotope Technique study (BC-IT) was taken. Subjective measures of body image (silhouettes) were compared with the objective measures of BMI z-score and body fatness measured by the DDM. The World Health Organization BMI z-scores were used to classify the children as underweight, normal, overweight, or obese. DDM-measured fatness was classified based on the McCarthy centile curves set at 2nd, 85th and 95th in conjunction with fatness cut-off points of 25% in boys and 30% in girls. Data were analyzed using SPSS v26. Of 202 children, 32.2%, 55.1%, 8.8%, and 2.4% perceived their body size as underweight, normal, overweight, and obese, respectively. Based on BMI z-score, 18.8%, 72.8%, 6.9%, and 1.5% were classified as underweight, normal, overweight, and obese, respectively. Body fatness measurement showed that 2.5%, 48.0%, 21.8%, and 29.7% were underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese, respectively

Assessing body image, body dissatisfaction, and dietary acculturation issues and investigating health and diabetes perceptions among Minnesotan Hmong American Children, 9-18 years

University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. February 2011. Major: Nutrition. Advisor: Chery Smith, PhD, MPH, RD. 1 computer file (PDF); viii, 192 pages, appendices A-D.This study, one component of a larger research project, investigated body image ideals, health and diabetes perceptions, and dietary acculturation issues among Hmong American children, 9-18 years of age. To accomplish this, we assessed results from silhouette drawing instrument, focus groups data (conducted prior to this project by two trained researchers (Franzen & Smith, 2009a, 2009b, 2010)), a validated survey, anthropometric data, and 24-hour dietary recalls. Key findings showed that Hmong children are dissatisfied with their current body shape/size, and are probably at a risk for developing eating disorders now or in the near future. Environmental influences shaped children‟s health and diabetes perceptions more than personal and/or behavioral factors. Dietary results indicated that Hmong diets are high in fats, oils, sweets, and sodium and low in dairy, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Further, children born in United States (US) consumed significantly more calories, carbohydrates, saturated fat, and sodium, and had a higher BMI-for-age than those who were born in Thailand/Laos. Given that Hmong are a growing Asian subgroup in the US, this research may help to provide useful insights and understandings on Hmong health perceptions, current health status, and body image ideals specifically from a cultural perspective. This may further help health educators, researchers, and community leaders in planning culturally sensitive educational interventions in this population.Mulasi-Pokhriyal, Urvashi. (2011). Assessing body image, body dissatisfaction, and dietary acculturation issues and investigating health and diabetes perceptions among Minnesotan Hmong American Children, 9-18 years. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/147462

Investigating dietary acculturation and intake among US-born and Thailand/Laos-born Hmong-American children aged 9–18 years

Objective: The Hmong are a growing population of South-East Asian immigrants with increasing rates of obesity and diabetes, yet little is known about their dietary consumption patterns. The present study aimed to investigate the dietary intake of Hmong children and whether acculturation and/or time lived in the USA influences dietary intake, BMI and nutritional status. Design: Two 24 h dietary recalls were collected on non-consecutive days using the multiple-pass interviewing method and were averaged. Heights and weights were measured, from which BMI was calculated. An acculturation score was computed. Setting: Schools, churches, Hmong organizations, and community centres. Subjects: Three hundred and thirty-five Hmong children aged 9–18 years from Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA. Results: Approximately half of our participants were either overweight or obese. US-born children were significantly heavier, taller, had a higher BMI, and in general consumed more energy, saturated fat and Na than those who were born in Thailand/Laos and were living in the USA for ,5 years. Children who were more acculturated to US norms including language use, social connections and dietary habits had higher BMI-for-age and consumed significantly more saturated fat, trans fatty acids, Na and Ca compared with their less acculturated counterparts. Conclusions: Diets of most Hmong children appear below the recommendations for fibre, vitamins A, D and E, Ca, P, Mg and K, and are higher in fats, sugars and Na. Living in an obesogenic US environment is a probable reason for poor dietary quality of Hmong and may be a contributing factor to the rising rates of obesity and diabetes in this population