Ethnicity, Household Food Security, and Nutrition and Activity Patterns in Families With Preschool Children.

Objective: This study evaluated the relationship between food security and child nutritional intake, sedentary behavior, and body mass index (BMI) and potential moderation by ethnic subgroup membership.

Design: Cross-sectional data analysis from baseline data of a preschool intervention trial.

Setting: Twenty-eight subsidized child care centers in Miami-Dade County, FL.

Participants: Children ages 2 to 5 (n = 1,211) and their caregivers.

Main Outcome Measure: The BMI percentile and the following 4 factors (via confirmatory factor analysis): food security, consumption of fruits/vegetables, consumption of unhealthy foods, and sedentary behaviors.

Analysis: Separate linear mixed models tested relationships between food security and main outcome measures with an interaction term to test for possible moderation by ethnicity.

Results: Results indicated a significant relationship (P < .05) between food security and child consumption of fruit/vegetables, consumption of unhealthy foods, and sedentary behavior, but not with BMI percentile. With greater food security, Haitians reported greater consumption of fruit/vegetables and sedentary behavior. With greater food security, Cubans and non-Hispanic whites reported less consumption of unhealthy foods, while Haitians reported greater consumption.

Conclusions And Implications: Results showed higher food security was associated with higher consumption of fruit/vegetables, consumption of unhealthy foods, and sedentary behavior, but this was moderated by ethnicity. Implications for healthy weight interventions among low-income preschoolers should focus on the importance of food security and tailor intervention strategies for diverse ethnic groups accordingly.