Abstract
In the United States, health concerns such as food insecurity and obesity continue to rise among American households (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003). Poor dietary intake can result in poor health outcomes as well as negatively impact student academic performance (Sigman-Grant, 2003). Despite the growing health concerns among the youth, limited studies have examined the dietary patterns of the Mexican-American adolescent population. This study aims to fill that void by describing the dietary intake of predominantly Mexican-American adolescents 13-18 years of age (n=532). The study design was cross-sectional and randomly selected high school participants based on their enrollment in physical education classes. Results of a one day 24-hour dietary recall showed both males and females in this study were below the national recommendations for total calories per day and reported poor eating behaviors. Further research is needed to investigate food insufficiency in this population who has high prevalence of overweight.
Highlights
The Paso del Norte Health Foundation (PDNHF) was established in 1995 through the sale of a not-for-profit hospital in El Paso, Texas
The region served by the PDNHF includes El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, which together make up the largest metropolitan area on the US-Mexico border
This paper reports findings of the evaluation that examines the integration of the health education specialists into the clinics, and the quantity and quality of health education services delivered
Summary
The Paso del Norte Health Foundation (PDNHF) was established in 1995 through the sale of a not-for-profit hospital in El Paso, Texas. The region served by the PDNHF includes El Paso, Texas (population 700,000), and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico (population 1.2 million), which together make up the largest metropolitan area on the US-Mexico border. The Clinic Health Education and Lifestyle Promotion (Clinic HELP) Initiative, funded by the PDNHF, was designed to extend health education services to medically indigent residents along the US-Mexico border. At the time of funding, most area clinics did not have professional health educators and there was a lack of primary prevention services. The pool of well-trained health educators, especially those who were prepared to work in clinical settings, in the Paso del Norte area was small. Each of the clinics hired health education specialists. During the third quarter of each project year, funded agencies were required to submit a report which was reviewed by the TAT. This paper reports findings of the evaluation that examines the integration of the health education specialists into the clinics, and the quantity and quality of health education services delivered
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