Examining Dietary Disparities and Associated Factors among Young Children Across Diverse Racial, Ethnic and Immigrant Households in Nebraska

Authors

Naveta Bhatti, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Dipti Dev

Committee Members

Julia Torquati, Julie Tippens, Lisa Franzen-Castle

Date of this Version

Summer 7-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science

Major: Child Youth and Family Studies

Under the supervision of Professor Dipti Dev

Lincoln, Nebraska, July 2024

Comments

Copyright 2024, Naveta Bhatti. Used by permission

Abstract

Early childhood is a crucial stage for developing eating behaviors which in turn plays a major role in determining health outcomes. Assessing children’s diet plays a crucial role in tackling the obesity epidemic. One of the ways to assess children’s dietary intake is by evaluating their dietary quality. Dietary quality refers to the overall healthfulness and nutritional value of an individual's diet, considering the combination of foods consumed over time. Research has consistently demonstrated that a high-quality diet is associated with a reduced risk of several health issues, such as all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease incidence or mortality, cancer incidence or mortality, and type 2 diabetes.

Previous research has identified that individuals from racial and ethnic minoritized groups, as well as immigrants in the United States (US), are more prone to obesity and associated diet-related chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The objective of Chapter One was to evaluate and compare the dietary quality of young children from diverse racial, ethnic, and immigrant households in Nebraska, to better understand the association of caregivers’ race, ethnicity and immigration status to dietary quality among children from these households. The dietary quality was measured using the short Healthy Eating Index (sHEI). Lower dietary quality scores were observed among 2-6-year-olds from immigrant and Hispanic households as compared to non-immigrant and non-Hispanic: White, African American or Black and American Indian or Native Hawaiian households. This provides important information for developing targeted intervention among these households and supporting them to maintain a healthy diet. Chapter Two evaluated the association of federal program participationSupplemental Nutrition Education Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Head Start (HS), caregiver’s education level and rural or urban location on the dietary quality of young children from above mentioned diverse households.

Children from households participating in SNAP had better dietary quality than those from households participating in SNAP and HS, and SNAP and WIC. Additionally, higher education level among caregivers was associated with better dietary quality among children in their household. However, no significant differences were found in dietary quality of children from rural and urban households. These findings are crucial from policy, program and research standpoint as policy level intervention should focus on elevating dietary quality among children from households participating in multiple programs such as SNAP and HS, and SNAP and WIC. Programs need to focus on curating adapted interventions for the population of interest such as lower education level households, immigrant and Hispanic households.

Advisor: Dipti Dev