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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #312470
Title: Association of beverage consumption with obesity in Mexican American children

Author
item BECK, AMY - University Of California
item TSCHANN, JEANNE - University Of California
item BUTTE, NANCY - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item PENILLA, CARLOS - University Of California
item GREENSPAN, LOUISE - Kaiser Permanente

Submitted to: Public Health Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/9/2012
Publication Date: 1/11/2013
Citation: Beck, A.L., Tschann, J., Butte, N.F., Penilla, C., Greenspan, L.C. 2013. Association of beverage consumption with obesity in Mexican American children. Public Health Nutrition. 17(2):338-344.

Interpretive Summary: The contribution of beverage consumption to the prevalence of obesity in Mexican American school-aged children is uncertain. In this cross-sectional study, mothers and children answered questions about the frequency and quantity of the child's consumption of soda, diet soda, other sugar-sweetened beverages, 100% fruit juice, milk and water. Among the 319 children, aged 8-10 years, increased consumption of soda was associated with increased chance of obesity. Discouraging soda consumption among Mexican American children may help reduce the high obesity rates in this population.

Technical Abstract: To determine the association of beverage consumption with obesity in Mexican American school-aged children. Cross-sectional study using the baseline data from a cohort study. Mothers and children answered questions about the frequency and quantity of the child's consumption of soda, diet soda, other sugar-sweetened beverages, 100% fruit juice, milk and water. The questions were adapted from the Youth/Adolescent FFQ. Children were weighed and measured. Data were collected on the following potential confounders: maternal BMI, household income, maternal education, maternal occupational status, maternal acculturation, child physical activity, child screen time and child fast-food consumption. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between servings (240 ml) of each beverage per week and obesity (BMI >= 95th percentile). Participants were recruited from among enrolees of the Kaiser Permanente Health Plan of Northern California. Data were collected via an in-home assessment. Mexican American children (n=319) aged 8-10 years. Among participants, 20% were overweight and 31% were obese. After controlling for potential confounders, consuming more servings of soda was associated with increased odds of obesity (OR = 1.29; P < 0.001). Consuming more servings of flavoured milk per week was associated with lower odds of obesity (OR = 0.88; P = 0.004). Consumption of other beverages was not associated with obesity in the multivariate mode. Discouraging soda consumption among Mexican American children may help reduce the high obesity rates in this population.