Parents are crucial in shaping their children's growth, especially regarding nutrition and health (Jurkowski et al., 2014). Child malnutrition, including childhood obesity, is a significant public health issue contributing to health disparities (UNESCO, 2021). The COVID-19 pandemic has further impacted the health and nutrition of both caregivers and children, promoting sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits (Melamed et al., 2022).
The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the role that parental mental health plays in the nutrition and growth of infants in low-income families in Southern California. Informed by a community-based participatory perspective, this project focused on historically marginalized communities, including communities of color, immigrants, and low-income residents. Findings from this project are expected to inform a larger, subsequent grant proposal to conduct a longitudinal study involving low-income, ethnic minority families across the United States.
How do physical activity and the daily food choices of parents influence both parental mental health and child feeding practices?
This project was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the Office of Disease Prevention (ODP), the Office of Nutrition Research (ONR), the Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity (COSWD), and the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) of the National Institutes of Health under award number U24DK132746-01, UCLA LIFT-UP (Leveraging Institutional support for Talented, Underrepresented Physicians and/or Scientists). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
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