The Impact of Social Determinants of Health: Primary Caretaker’s Education Level, Neighborhood Safety, and the Delays in Receiving Care Have on Obesity Amongst Minority and Non-Minority Children
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2022-08
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Childhood obesity is a public health problem that has been increasing. Researchers have reported disparities between minority and non-minority children in previous studies examining the difference in the mean body mass index (BMI) of children and social determinants of health (SDH) linked to obesity. This study aimed to examine the differences in the mean BMI of children across SDH (i.e., primary caretaker’s education levels, neighborhood safety, and delays in receiving care) for minority and non-minority children in California. The researcher used an observational, cross-sectional design. The sample included 3,542 participants. Secondary data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) were used to sample children between 0 to 11 years of age. A one-way ANOVA, including a post-hoc Bonferroni test and an independent samples t-test, was used to evaluate the difference in the mean BMI of children. There was a significant difference in the mean BMI of children and primary caretakers’ education levels for minority and non-minority children. However, there was no significant difference between the mean BMI of children for neighborhood safety and delays in receiving care for minority and non-minority children. This study found that BMI decreased as parents’ education levels increased. The results suggest more creation and improvement of health education programs, policies, and protective measures for children ages 0 to 11 to decrease childhood obesity rates in California.
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Public Health, Health Education