Evidence was mixed for all outcomes. Results should be interpreted cautiously given the high variability in study designs and interventions. Further research needs long-term follow-up, multistrategy interventions that include changes in the nutrition and physical activity environment, reporting of cost data, and consideration of sustainability.

No abstract

This paper examines demographic and geographic differences in breast cancer mortality (1999 to 2009) between U.S. Hispanic and non-Hispanic women from different racial groups. Data were publically available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Four racial groups are included: American Indian/Alaska Natives, Asian/Pacific Islanders, Blacks/African Americans, and Whites. Age-adjusted rates were obtained for women ages 35-64 and 65 years and older. Hispanic mortality was generally lower than non-Hispanic mortality regardless of age, race, Census Region, State, or county. The lone exception was Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islanders residing in Hawaii. Despite generally lower rates, there was considerable variation in Hispanic breast cancer mortality within the country. Poverty, percentage of renters, and educational attainment were important explanatory factors. Analytic epidemiologic studies might explain social, cultural, and other reasons for the observed geographic variations. Such studies, in turn, could support a stronger theoretical basis for public health policy.

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Maternal perceptions of their children's weight status may limit their readiness to foster healthy habits to prevent childhood obesity. We compared maternal perceptions as measured by verbal and visual scales of their children's weight status (CWS) with measured BMI/weight-for-age percentile among 75 Hispanic mothers with at least one child aged ≤10 years. Mothers were significantly more likely to underestimate their CWS compared to measured BMI, particularly during verbal appraisals. Although maternal perceptions (verbal and visual scales) were significantly associated with measured CWS, the strength of the association was moderate (Verbal r=0.45 (95%CI:0.30, 0.57); Visual r=0.34 (95%CI:0.18, 0.48)). In no case, did parents in this study identify their children as "obese." These results underscore the need for more precise understandings about parental perceptions in order to develop better modes of communication regarding health risks of obesity and ways to modify and control unhealthy behaviors related to body weight.