Metabolic and nutritional profile differences among Mexican, Mexican-American and non-hispanic white children

Objective. To compare somatometric variables, lipid profile, diet, and physical activity between Mexican children living in México (MEX), and Mexican-American (MXA) and Non-Hispanic White (NHW) children from the United States (US) to examine the possible influence of ethnicity and residency on these factors. Material and methods. Six to twelve years old children data from a study from central México and the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was compared. Data were categorized to examine the effect of residency (MEX vs. MXA & NHW) and ethnicity (MEX vs. MXA & NHW) on the variables of interest. Results. Living in the US was associated with higher cholesterol levels in younger boys and older girls (p < 0.05), and high saturated fat intake in all groups (p < 0.0001). Living in México increased the likelihood of abnormal HDL (p < 0.001), systolic (p < 0.001), and diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.0001). Caucasian young girls were more likely to have high cholesterol intake (p < 0.02) than their Mexican counterparts. Conclusions. These findings suggest that residency is linked to impaired lipid profile and blood pressure in children, whereas ethnicity seems to have an impact on dietary choices.