Street vendors contributions to the diets of low-income Latino children

Introduction The snacks purchased from street vendors and consumed by elementary school children may be contributing to calorie dense, nutrient poor diets.

 

Methods Elementary school parents/guardians were surveyed outside of schools after they purchased a snack for their child from a street vendor.  The surveys were administered from May-June, 2013.  Participants completed a 24 question survey in either English or Spanish about the snack and their typical snack purchasing habits. 

 

Results Data was collected for 143 Latino students ages 5-12. There were 78 boys and 63 girls with average age of 8.12 years +/- 2.52.  Shaved ice and ice cream were purchased 54.7% of the time, followed by chips (19.3%) and fried foods (8.7%). Fresh fruit was purchased 5.6% of the time. Parents spent from $0.25-$3.50 per item with an average of $1.03 +/- 0.52. Calories of individual snack purchases ranged from 46-1790, with an average of 367.43 +/- 197.96.  Parents purchased what their children requested 90% of the time with frequency of snack purchases as follows: 53% purchased 1-2 snacks per week, 36% purchased 3-5 times per week, and 10% reported one or fewer times per month.  An estimated 39% of the children were overweight or obese.

 

Discussion Snacks purchased from street vendors that are high in calories and low in nutrients may be contributing to overall poor dietary consumption and increased weight among elementary school children.  Interventions to decrease childhood obesity and improve the diets of children should address street vendors surrounding schools.