Association between the Sociodemographic Characteristics of Parents with Health-Related and Lifestyle Markers of Children in Three Different Spanish-Speaking Countries: An Inter-Continental Study at OECD Country Level Artículo académico uri icon

Abstracto

  • The purpose of this cross-cultural study was to determine the association between the sociodemographic background of a child’s parents (i.e., their socioeconomic level, marital status, and educational level) with the child’s lifestyle (i.e., Mediterranean diet (MD), physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST)), and health markers. Material: This cross-sectional study included 1273 children, from Chile (n = 496), Colombia (n = 340), and Spain (n = 437). The sociodemographic information together with the lifestyle and health markers of the children were measured. There was an inverse association between a low or medium-low socioeconomic level for the parents of Chilean children and handgrip strength (β −0.61, p < 0.001); meanwhile, for Spanish children, an inverse association between a low or medium-low socioeconomic level and PA after school (β −0.58, p = 0.016), lifestyle (β −0.74, p = 0.015), and with MD adherence (β −0.86, p = 0.004) was found. The risk (i.e., by odd ratios (OR)) of being divorced/separated parents marital status showed an inverse association with abdominal obesity (OR 0.21, p = 0.045) in Spanish children; however, the parent’s marital status and a low educational level were risk factors for the suffering of a low nutritional level in Colombian children (OR 2.02, p = 0.048; OR 2.49, p < 0.001, respectively). On the other hand, a low educational level for parents reported for Chilean children had a positive association with ST of ≥4 h per day (OR 1.82, p = 0.020). In conclusion, in Spanish-speaking children, the lifestyle and health markers of the children are affected by the sociodemographic background of their parents; however, these effects could be moderated by the socio-cultural and economic status of their countries as members of the OCDE; therefore, it is essential to develop policies that decrease these gaps, so that children who are under-resourced can reach their full potential.

autores

  • Álvarez, Cristian
  • Guzmán-Guzmán, Iris Paola
  • Latorre-Román, Pedro Ángel
  • Párraga-Montilla, Juan
  • Palomino-Devia, Constanza
  • Reyes-Oyola, Felipe Augusto
  • Paredes-Arévalo, Lorena
  • Leal Oyarzun, Marlys Jacqueline
  • Obando-Calderón, Isabel
  • Cresp-Barria, Mauricio
  • Machuca-Barria, Claudia
  • Peña-Troncoso, Sebastián
  • Jerez-Mayorga, Daniel
  • Delgado-Floody, Pedro

fecha de publicación

  • 2021

Página inicial

  • 2672

Volumen

  • 13

Cuestión

  • 8