Measurement challenges for childhood obesity research within and between Latin America and the United States

Abstract

Summary Childhood obesity is a major public health challenge across Latin America and the United States. Addressing childhood obesity depends on valid, reliable, and culturally sensitive measurements. Such progress within and between countries of the Americas could be enhanced through better measurement across different age groups, different countries, and in sending and receiving communities. Additionally, better and more comparable measurements could accelerate cross‐border collaboration and learning. Here, we present (1) frameworks that influenced our perspectives on childhood obesity and measurement needs across the Americas; (2) a summary of resources and guidance available concerning measurement and adaptation of measures for childhood obesity research; and (3) three major areas that present challenges and opportunities for measurement advances related to childhood obesity, including parental behavior, acculturation, and the potential to incorporate ethnographic methods to identify critical factors related to economics and globalization. Progress to reduce childhood obesity across the Americas could be accelerated by further transnational collaboration aimed at improving measurement for better surveillance, intervention development and evaluation, implementation research, and evaluation of natural experiments. Additionally, there is a need to improve training related to measurement and for improving access to valid and reliable measures in Spanish and other languages common in the Americas.

Migration as a determinant of childhood obesity in the United States and Latin America

“…Second, the CEB framework explicitly recognizes the environments interacting with ethnic minority populations and their underlying processes, as a reflection of adaptations to circumstances created by migration (i.e., acculturation, assimilation, or negotiated segregation). 27 The framework underscores that these adaptation processes can be health‐promoting, health adverse, or a mixture of both. Similarly, it recognizes that the type of minority status, for example, “established” or “new” migrants, is linked to dietary factors and sociocultural history and challenges (i.e., type of diet or income level prior to migration).…”

“…Second, the CEB framework explicitly recognizes the environments interacting with ethnic minority populations and their underlying processes, as a reflection of adaptations to circumstances created by migration (i.e., acculturation, assimilation, or negotiated segregation). 27 The framework underscores that these adaptation processes can be health-promoting, health adverse, or a mixture of both.…”

Childhood obesity prevention across borders: The promise of U.S.–Latin American research collaboration

“…Other articles cut across these layers to address a pressing underlying need. Berrigan et al 18 present the measurement challenges across different age groups and countries that, if addressed, could accelerate cross border collaboration and learning. Perez‐Escamilla et al 19 outline the role of implementation science to understand how U.S. and Latin American countries achieved success in implementing obesity prevention policies and programs.…”

“…The effect of migration on the risk of childhood obesity is explicitly addressed in‐depth in one article, 27 though the implications related to acculturation were included in others. 18 The migration article clearly shows the importance of interdisciplinary mixed methods research in the context of complex systems frameworks. 17 The massive number of migrants within and across countries is unparalleled in human history and, as a result of huge economic inequities, climate change, civil conflicts, and other humanitarian emergencies, will continue to grow.…”

Prevención transfronteriza de la obesidad infantil: la promesa de colaboración entre EE. UU. y Latinoamérica en investigación

“…Los efectos de la migración sobre el riesgo de obesidad infantil se describen expresamente en uno de los artículos 27 , aunque las consecuencias de la aculturación se aborden en otros 18 . El artículo sobre la migración demuestra claramente la importancia de la investigación interdisciplinaria con métodos mixtos en el contexto de los marcos conceptuales de sistemas complejos 17 .…”