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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #312481
Title: Longitudinal effects of parental child and neighborhood factors on moderate vigorous physical activity and sedentary time in Latino children

Author
item BUTTE, NANCY - CHILDREN'S NUTRITION RESEARCH CENTER (CNRC)
item GREGORICH, STEVEN - UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
item PENILLA, CARLOS - UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
item PASCH, LAURI - UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
item DE GROAT, CYNTHIA - UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
item FLORES, ELENA - UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO
item DEARDORFF, JULIANNA - UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
item GREENSPAN, LOUISE - KAISER PERMANENTE
item MARTINEZ, SUZANNA - UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Submitted to: International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/15/2014
Publication Date: 9/4/2014
Citation: Butte, N.F., Gregorich, S.E., Penilla, C., Pasch, L.A., De Groat, C.L., Flores, E., Deardorff, J., Greenspan, L.C., Martinez, S.M. 2014. Longitudinal effects of parental child and neighborhood factors on moderate vigorous physical activity and sedentary time in Latino children. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 11:108.

Interpretive Summary: Given the high rates of childhood obesity among the Latino population, it is important to understand the contribution of physical activity and sedentary behaviors to this serious public health problem. We measured parental, child and neighborhood factors influencing changes in body mass index (BMI) and activity patterns among Latino children over a two year period. Activity monitors (accelerometers) were used to measure moderate-vigorous physical activity (%MVPA) and sedentary behavior (%SED). We found that the major child determinants of physical activity were age, gender and BMI. Parental influences including maternal BMI and education, paternal age and acculturation were less strong. However, both child and parental influences should be considered in designing interventions to promote %MVPA and reduce %SED among Latino children.

Technical Abstract: Moderate-vigorous physical activity (%MVPA) confers beneficial effects on child musculoskeletal health, cardiovascular fitness, and psychosocial well-being; in contrast, sedentary time (%SED) is emerging as a risk factor for health. This study aimed to identify parental, child and neighborhood factors influencing longitudinal assessments of body mass index (BMI) and activity patterns among Latino children, and to estimate lagged and cross-lagged effects between child BMI, %MVPA and %SED. A longitudinal design with assessments at baseline, 1 and 2 years follow-up (FU) was used to evaluate the effects of maternal and paternal factors (BMI, age, education level, acculturation, household income and household size), child factors (gender, age, BMI, pubertal status) and neighborhood factors (disorder, victimization) on child BMI, %MVPA and %SED, expressed as a percent of awake time, in 282 Latino children ages 8'10 y and their parents. This study was restricted to families with a mother and biological father or father figure in the child's life. Across time, total daily accelerometer counts (p'='0.04) and steps decreased (p'='0.0001), %SED increased (p'='0.0001), and %MVPA decreased (p'='0.02). Moderate lagged effects or tracking was seen for %MVPA and %SED (p'='0.001). %MVPA varied by gender (5.5% higher in boys than girls, p'='0.0001); child age ('0.4% per year, p'='0.03), and child BMI in boys only ('0.22%, p'='0.0002). Negative effects of paternal age, maternal education and maternal changes in BMI on %MVPA also were seen. %SED increased with child age (2.5% higher per year, p'='0.0001). Positive effects of paternal acculturation, maternal change in BMI, paternal age, and negative effects of household size on %SED were observed. A cross-lagged positive effect of BMI at FU1 on %SED at FU2 was observed for boys and girls (p'='0.03). Neighborhood disorder and victimization were not significant predictors of child BMI, %MVPA or %SED. The major child determinants of physical activity (age, gender and BMI) and minor parental influences (maternal BMI and education, paternal age and acculturation) should be considered in designing interventions to promote %MVPA and reduce %SED among Latino children as they approach adolescence.