Parental Influences on Childhood Obesity in Latino Communities

Latino children exhibit disproportionately high rates of overweight and obesity, shaped in large part by parental behaviours, family dynamics and socio-ecological forces. Parents function as gatekeepers and role models for diet, physical activity and screen time, with feeding styles ranging from authoritative to permissive exerting measurable effects on children’s energy balance and weight trajectories. Cultural food traditions, mealtime routines and the involvement of extended family both reinforce healthful practices and transmit obesogenic habits, depending on levels of acculturation and generational norms. Economic pressures, work schedules and neighbourhood safety further constrain parents’ ability to provide nutritious meals and opportunities for active play. Mothers often carry the bulk of meal planning and food preparation, whereas fathers’ engagement in physical play and modelling has emerged as a distinct influence on children’s activity levels. Early-life interventions within the first 1 000 days of life underscore the critical window in which parental knowledge of infant feeding and growth trajectories can alter obesity risk. Community-based programmes, school partnerships and health-care integration that address practical barriers—such as food costs, transportation and language access—are essential to support Latino families in diverse settings, from urban neighbourhoods in the United States to rural and peri-urban communities in Latin America.

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Parental Influences on Childhood Obesity in Latino Communities publication trend

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Technical terms

Energy balance-related behaviours: Actions that influence the relationship between energy intake (diet) and energy expenditure (physical activity), which collectively affect body weight.

Feeding styles: Patterns of parental feeding practices characterised by levels of responsiveness and demandingness, ranging from authoritative (high warmth and structure) to permissive (high warmth, low control).

Acculturation: The process by which individuals adopt cultural traits or social patterns of another group, affecting dietary preferences and health behaviours.

Ecological framework: A multi-level model that examines how individual, interpersonal, community and societal factors interact to shape health outcomes.

Sedentary behaviour: Waking activities with low energy expenditure, such as sitting or screen time, associated with increased obesity risk.

References

1. Obstacles to preventing obesity in children aged 2 to 5 years: Latino mothers’ and fathers’ experiences and perceptions of their urban environments. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2017).
2. Feeding styles and evening family meals among recent immigrants. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2013).
3. Reducing Hispanic Children’s Obesity Risk Factors in the First 1000 Days of Life: A Qualitative Analysis. Journal of Obesity (2015).
4. How Minority Parents Could Help Children Develop Healthy Eating Behaviors: Parent and Child Perspectives. Nutrients (2020).
5. Padres Preparados, Jóvenes Saludables: intervention impact of a randomized controlled trial on Latino father and adolescent energy balance-related behaviors. BMC Public Health (2022).
6. Cultural Influences on Family Mealtime Routines in Mexico: Focus Group Study with Mexican Mothers. Children (2022).
7. A qualitative study conducted in the USA exploring Latino fathers’ beliefs, attitudes and practices related to their young children’s eating, physical activity and sedentary behaviours. Public Health Nutrition (2017).