An evaluation of the associations between socioeconomic status and the growth of Mexican-American children: data from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES 1982–1984)

Abstract

This study considers the associations between 1) various measures of growth (triceps, subscapular, medial calf, and suprailiac skinfold thickness; stature; weight; and weight/stature2) and 2) poverty status in a sample of 3587 Mexican-American children from HHANES (1982-1984). Comparisons are made with data for white children and black children in NHANES II (1976-1980). Differences between poor (at or below the poverty line) and nonpoor (above the poverty line) Mexican-American children were small and not statistically significant for most of the variables that were compared. Poor adolescent Mexican-American girls, however, had significantly greater mean skinfold thicknesses than nonpoor Mexican-American girls. When poverty status was held constant, Mexican-American children tended to be shorter but heavier and fatter than white children and black children. Across poverty status groups, weight/stature2 tended to be relatively high in Mexican-American children.