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Abstract #146724

Lynn M. Babington, PhD, RN, School of Nursing, Northeastern University, 401 B Robinson Hall, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115-5000, 617-373-4603, l.babington@neu.edu

The incidence of childhood obesity in the U.S. is rising at alarming rates and is occurring in younger age groups. This trend is also increasing among children of immigrants. Acculturation is a difficult transition for new immigrants. Maintaining healthy eating habits is particularly challenging for families as they are introduced to new foods and dietary practices at a time when their traditional foods may be unavailable. Because mothers have a major influence on the weight of infants and young children and on the eating patterns children develop, it is imperative that we understand the feeding practices, knowledge, and nutritional beliefs of immigrant mothers to help inform the development of culturally specific interventions aimed at preventing childhood obesity. The purpose of the study was to identify Dominican mothers' views related to the introduction of food to infants and feeding practices for young children, along with their knowledge and beliefs related to the causes and health implications of childhood obesity. Two focus groups were conducted. The first focus group was conducted in the Dominican Republic (D.R.) with mothers of young children. The second focus group was conducted in a community center in Boston, MA with a group of Dominican mothers who had recently immigrated to the U.S. The feeding practices, beliefs, and knowledge about nutrition for young children of these two groups were compared. Findings helped to increase understanding of the process of acculturation and its influence on feeding practices as well as mothers' knowledge and beliefs related to childhood nutrition.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to

• Describe the child feeding practices of Dominican mothers.
• Identify gaps in study subjects knowledge related to the health implications of child obesity.
• Compare and discuss the differences in child feeding practices between the two study groups.

Keywords: Child Health, Obesity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.