142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

306441
Pre- and Post-Implementation Food Expenditure among Mexican-Heritage Families in an Obesity Prevention Program

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Adela de la Torre, PHD , Center for Transnational Health, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
Rosa Gomez-Camacho, PhD Candidate , School of Education, Center for Transnational Health, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
Meagan Hanbury, PhD , Department of Agricultural Economics, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
Richard Green, PhD , Department of Agricultural Economics, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
Niños Sanos, Familia Sana (NSFS) is a multi-approach childhood obesity intervention study in the central valley of California, targeting Mexican-heritage children ages 3-8 and their families.  This presentation analyzes changes in food expenditure among participants pre- and post-implementation.  Participants in NSFS receive multiple interventions, including: a $25/month voucher to purchase fruits and vegetables, and nutrition education for children and parents/guardians.  A preliminary environmental scan of the community found that grocery stores and other food retail locations carried limited, expensive fruits and vegetables.  The voucher effectively lowers the relative prices of fruits and vegetables, making those commodities more accessible to this population.  Increased demand for fruits and vegetables among study participants may also induce retail stores to improve the quantity and quality of produce for sale. 

Researchers used grocery-store scanning systems, receipts and surveys to collect food expenditure data at baseline and one year post-implementation.  These data are used to assess changes in food expenditure among participant households.  Researchers also analyze how socioeconomic and other demographic factors including, income, employment history, education, and level of acculturation, contribute to food purchasing decisions.  Researchers predict participants have increased expenditures on fruits and vegetables and decreased expenditures on sugar-sweetened beverages.  An environmental scan is used to assess changes in the retail environment.   

Learning Areas:

Biostatistics, economics
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Assess purchasing patterns of low-income, rural, migrant community. Evaluate change in consumption after obesity prevention intervention. Associate family characteristics and socioeconomic factors to food expenditures.

Keyword(s): Obesity, Child Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Principal Investigator of the Project Niņos-Sanos, Familia-Sana, a $4.8 million USDA NIFA grant focusing on addressing child hood obesity issues within the Mexican origin community. I am the Director of the Center for Transnational Health at UCDavis, which manages multiple federally and state funded grants to address health and education issues that affect Latino communities. My research primarily focus on social determinants of Chicano/Latino health issues, including border and binational health.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.