Childhood Obesity: Community Challenges
Why we need more knowledge and skills
By: Corinne Ng
High rates of obesity among low-income children and youth are increasing as they face barriers to healthy behaviors, healthy foods, and physical activity (ScienceDaily, 2008). The built environment in which low-income children live influences the availability of certain types of food (Kumanyika and Grier, 2006). The food environment in low-income neighborhoods is less diverse and residents have a limited choice of healthy food options.
Research has indicated that low-income neighborhoods have an abundance of fast-food restaurants, but have fewer healthy food outlets such as grocery stores or supermarkets (ScienceDaily, 2008). Foods that are readily available in low-income communities are foods with high concentration of fat, simple sugars, preservatives, as well as processed foods (Sallis and Glanz, 2006). Supermarkets offer a greater selection of healthy foods and they stock fresh, good quality foods such as whole grains or low-fat dairy products (Kumanyika and Grier, 2006).
Low-income families not only have less access to healthy foods, but they face food security issues. In general, families that live on a fixed budget cannot afford to purchase better quality foods because the price tends to be more expensive. Therefore, these families must resort to purchasing their meals from nearby cheap fast food restaurants (Sallis and Glanz, 2006).
Furthermore, residents who live in a low-income neighborhood have fewer community parks, fewer safe open spaces, fewer safe bike paths, or sidewalks, which can prevent children from being physically active (CDC, 2009). Children are more likely to stay indoors, if they feel that their environment is unsafe.. A combination of poor diet and lack of physical activity increases children's risk for the development of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other chronic illnesses. Because of overweight and obesity, todays's children may, on average, live less healthy and ultimately shorter lives than their parents. Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic in the U.S. and the problem is an urgent public health concern (Daniels, 2006).
Childhood Obesity Rates: Bay Area and California
The CDC defines obesity as a body mass index-for-age at or above the 95th percentile based on the 2000 sex-specific growth charts. The following data is retrieved from the Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PedNSS). PedNSS is a voluntary state surveillance system that collects nutritional status data primarily on low-income U.S. children from birth through 20 years of age who are enrolled in federally funded programs (CDC, 2009).
Although obesity rates have increased within each ethnic group, they have increased more for African American and Latino children. This is true for California and in the San Francisco Bay Area because in 2008, low-income Latino and African American children (receiving CHDP services), ages 5 to 19 years old, have the highest rates of obesity. Data from four Bay Area Counties underscores the significance of this problem.
Statewide obesity rates among low-income children, ages 5 to 19 years old, are 22.8 percent (PedNSS, 2008). Statewide, among low-income Latino children (ages 5-19) the obesity rate is 24.4 percent, followed by African Americans (21.2 percent), Whites (20.1 percent), and Asians of 13.5 percent (PedNSS, 2008).
In San Francisco County, the overall county rate is 18.7 percent, which increased 1.8 percent from the 2007 rate (PedNSS, 2007, 2008). Obesity rates are highest among low-income Latino (28.3 percent) and African American (24.6 percent) children (ages 5-19), and lowest among Whites (16.0 percent), and Asian or Pacific Islander (10.0 percent) children (PedNSS, 2008).
In San Mateo County, the overall county rate is 25.4 percent. Low-income Latino children (ages 5-19) have the highest obesity rate of 27.2 percent, followed by African Americans (22.7 percent), Whites (23.1 percent), and the Asian population group is too small to calculate (PedNSS, 2008).
In Alameda County, the overall county rate is 21.9 percent. Low-income Latino children (ages 5-19) have an obesity rate of 28.1 percent, followed by African Americans (23.5 percent), Whites (20.9 percent), and Asians (11.8 percent) (PedNSS, 2008).
In Contra Costa County, the overall county rate is 25.6 percent. Low-income Latino children (ages 5-19) have an obesity rate of 29.3 percent, followed by Asians (25.0 percent), Whites (24.0 percent), and African Americans (23.3 percent) (PedNSS, 2008).
The high child and adolescent obesity rates in the four Bay Area Counties referenced above underscore why health care professionals working with children and youth must address this issue. The training, Childhood Obesity 2010: The Next Generation of Prevention and Management is designed to increase knowledge and build skills. This training gathers together creative strategies to address different populations in varied settings and to offer a science-based foundation for understanding obesity. It includes a stellar faculty with both strong research and community practice backgrounds.
References
Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention. (2009). Newsroom Press Release: Obesity among low-income preschool aged children appears to be slowing. Retrieved October 14, 2009, from http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2009/r090723.htm
Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention. (2009). Overweight and obesity. Retrieved October 14, 2009, from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/causes.html
Daniels, S. (2006). The consequences of childhood overweight and obesity. The Future of Children, 16(1), 47-67.
Department of Health Care Services. (2007). Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PedNSS). Growth indicators by race/ethnicity and age: Children aged 5 to < 20 years. Retrieved October 14, 2009, from http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/chdp/Documents/PedNSS/2007/16B5to20.pdf
Department of Health Care Services. (2008). Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PedNSS). Growth indicators by race/ethnicity and age: Children aged < 5 years. Retrieved October 14, 2009, from http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/chdp/Documents/PedNSS/2008/16B0to5.pdf
Department of Health Care Services. (2008). Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PedNSS). Growth indicators by race/ethnicity and age: Children aged 5 to < 20 years. Retrieved October 14, 2009, from http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/chdp/Documents/PedNSS/2008/16B5to20.pdf
Kumanyika S, Grier S. (2006). Targeting interventions for ethnic minority and low-income populations. The Future of Children, 16 (1), 187 –207.
Sallis J, Glanz K. (2006). The role of built environment in physical activity, eating, and obesity in childhood. The Future of Children, 16(1), 89-108.
ScienceDaily. (2008). UCLA Center for Health Policy Research: Obesity among California's low-income teens nearly triples that of more affluent peers. Retrieved October 14, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com- /releases/2008/12/081210131042.htm
Click here for slides and Handouts from Childhood Obesity 2010: The Next Generation of Prevention and Management held February 27, 2010.