Overweight and Obesity in Minority Children and Implications for Family and Community Social Work

Abstract

The 2007 California Health Interview Survey was used to examine indicators of overweight and obesity among racial and ethnic minority children age 2 to 11 (N = 6,669). The factors found to most influence overweight/obesity were race/ethnicity, poverty level, and physical activity. Neighborhood access to a park or playground within walking distance reduced the odds of overweight and obesity despite control for other factors. Findings indicate that health behaviors and environmental contexts are important to understanding obesogenic risks in ethnically-diverse communities. Future directions for family and community-based social work and implications for developing culturally sensitive strategies in addressing this growing health issue are discussed.