School of Rural Public Health, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College Station, TX 77843-1266, USA.
BMC Pediatr. 2012 Feb 20;12:16. doi: 10.1186/1471-2431-12-16.
Food insecurity among Mexican-origin and Hispanic households is a critical nutritional health issue of national importance. At the same time, nutrition-related health conditions, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, are increasing in Mexican-origin youth. Risk factors for obesity and type 2 diabetes are more common in Mexican-origin children and include increased intakes of energy-dense and nutrient-poor foods. This study assessed the relationship between children's experience of food insecurity and nutrient intake from food and beverages among Mexican-origin children (age 6-11 y) who resided in Texas border colonias.
Baseline data from 50 Mexican-origin children were collected in the home by trained promotora-researchers. All survey (demographics and nine-item child food security measure) and 24-hour dietary recall data were collected in Spanish. Dietary data were collected in person on three occasions using a multiple-pass approach; nutrient intakes were calculated with NDS-R software. Separate multiple regression models were individually fitted for total energy, protein, dietary fiber, calcium, vitamin D, potassium, sodium, Vitamin C, and percentage of calories from fat and added sugars.
Thirty-two children (64%) reported low or very low food security. Few children met the recommendations for calcium, dietary fiber, and sodium; and none for potassium or vitamin D. Weekend intake was lower than weekday for calcium, vitamin D, potassium, and vitamin C; and higher for percent of calories from fat. Three-day average dietary intakes of total calories, protein, and percent of calories from added sugars increased with declining food security status. Very low food security was associated with greater intakes of total energy, calcium, and percentage of calories from fat and added sugar.
This paper not only emphasizes the alarming rates of food insecurity for this Hispanic subgroup, but describes the associations for food insecurity and diet among this sample of Mexican-origin children. Child-reported food insecurity situations could serve as a screen for nutrition problems in children. Further, the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, which play a major beneficial role in children's weekday intakes, may not be enough to keep pace with the nutritional needs of low and very low food secure Mexican-origin children.
墨西哥裔和西班牙裔家庭的粮食不安全是一个具有全国重要性的关键营养健康问题。与此同时，与营养相关的健康状况，如肥胖和 2 型糖尿病，在墨西哥裔青年中也呈上升趋势。肥胖和 2 型糖尿病的风险因素在墨西哥裔儿童中更为常见，包括摄入更多的高热量、低营养的食物。本研究评估了德克萨斯州边境社区中墨西哥裔儿童（6-11 岁）经历的粮食不安全与食物和饮料中营养素摄入之间的关系。
通过培训的 promotora 研究员在家庭中收集了 50 名墨西哥裔儿童的基线数据。所有调查（人口统计学和九项儿童粮食安全措施）和 24 小时膳食回忆数据均以西班牙语收集。使用多次通过方法分三次亲自收集膳食数据；使用 NDS-R 软件计算营养素摄入量。分别为总能量、蛋白质、膳食纤维、钙、维生素 D、钾、钠、维生素 C 以及脂肪和添加糖的卡路里百分比建立单独的多元回归模型。
32 名儿童（64%）报告粮食安全水平低或极低。很少有儿童符合钙、膳食纤维和钠的推荐量；没有一个符合钾或维生素 D 的推荐量。周末的钙、维生素 D、钾和维生素 C 摄入量低于工作日；而脂肪和添加糖的卡路里百分比则更高。三天的平均膳食总热量、蛋白质和添加糖的卡路里百分比随着粮食安全状况的下降而增加。极低的粮食安全与总能量、钙和脂肪以及添加糖的卡路里百分比的摄入量增加有关。
本文不仅强调了这一西班牙裔亚组令人震惊的粮食不安全率，还描述了这一墨西哥裔儿童样本中粮食不安全与饮食之间的关系。儿童报告的粮食不安全情况可以作为儿童营养问题的筛查手段。此外，在儿童工作日摄入量中发挥重要有益作用的国家学校午餐和学校早餐计划可能不足以满足低粮食安全和极低粮食安全的墨西哥裔儿童的营养需求。
