Assessing obesity-related nutrition behaviors among Latino immigrant women in the Southeastern United States

Background: A disproportionate percentage of Latina women are overweight or obese relative to non-Hispanic white women. The objective of this study was to assess the proportion of women meeting current guidelines for obesity related dietary behaviors such as fruit and vegetable intake and fried/high fat food consumption in a sample of Latina immigrants living in the southeastern U.S.

Methods: We analyzed baseline data from a randomized controlled trial testing an intervention to promote cervical cancer screening. Women were recruited from the community using a snowball technique. All women answered questions on obesity-related dietary behaviors; in addition, women randomized to the control arm had a BMI measured at baseline and received subsequent nutrition education.

Results: 540 women enrolled in the trial. The mean age was 30; 47% were employed and 72% had less than a high school education. Most were from Mexico (89%) with a mean of 6.5 years living in the U.S. Seventy percent perceived themselves as overweight. Among the 259 women with BMI data, over 75% were overweight or obese, with 45% obese. Fewer than 5% met guidelines for daily fruit and vegetable intake and over 30% report eating fried/high fat foods 4 or more times per week.

Conclusion: Rates of obesity were high among this sample of Latina immigrants and few women met guidelines for obesity-related dietary behaviors. With high rates of obesity, the Southeast may present a particularly obesigenic environment for immigrants. Tailored interventions for weight management are needed for this high risk group.