Table. Parent and Child Characteristics, Parents’ Views on Engaging Middle School Students in Obesity Prevention and Control in a Multiethnic Population, Los Angeles, California, 2010–2011.
| Characteristica | Spanish (n = 24) | English (n = 14) | Total (N = 38) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parents | |||
| Sex, % | |||
| Male | 0 | 7 | 3 |
| Female | 100 | 93 | 97 |
| Age, y, mean (range) | 40.2 (30–51) | 44.1 (36–52) | 42.0 (30–52) |
| Race/ethnicity, % | |||
| Latino | 100 | 21 | 70 |
| African American | 0 | 36 | 14 |
| Asian | 0 | 43 | 16 |
| White | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Highest level of education completedb, % | |||
| ≤8th grade | 54 | 0 | 34 |
| Some high school but did not graduate | 21 | 7 | 16 |
| High school graduate or received a GED | 17 | 21 | 18 |
| Some college or 2-year degree | 4 | 43 | 18 |
| 4-year college graduate | 4 | 21 | 11 |
| ≥4-year college degree | 0 | 7 | 3 |
| Annual household income, 2009 dollarsb, % | |||
| ≤10,000 | 22 | 14 | 19 |
| 10,001-20,000 | 44 | 14 | 31 |
| 20,001-30,000 | 22 | 14 | 19 |
| 30,001-50,000 | 6 | 29 | 16 |
| 50,001-75,000 | 6 | 21 | 13 |
| 75,001-100,000 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
| Marital statusb, % | |||
| Married | 71 | 50 | 63 |
| Divorced/separated | 0 | 21 | 8 |
| Widowed | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Living with partner | 13 | 7 | 11 |
| Single | 13 | 21 | 16 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | |||
| Mean (range) | 30.4 (23–39) | 29.3 (21–45) | 29.9 (21–45) |
| Overweight, % | 39 | 21 | 31 |
| Obese, % | 44 | 50 | 47 |
| Self-described weightb, % | |||
| Very underweight | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Slightly underweight | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| About the right weight | 13 | 36 | 21 |
| Slightly overweight | 50 | 29 | 42 |
| Very overweight | 38 | 36 | 37 |
| Acculturation,c,d mean (range) | 1.6 (1-2.4) | 3.3 (2.2–4.4) | 1.8 (1-4.4) |
| Children | |||
| Age, y, mean (range) | 11.9 (11–14) | 12.3 (11–13) | 12.1 (11–14) |
| Sex, % | |||
| Male | 57 | 62 | 58 |
| Female | 43 | 38 | 42 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | |||
| Mean (range) | 26.1 (13–39) | 20.1 (14–31) | 23.7 (13–39) |
| Overweightc, % | 18 | 0 | 11 |
| Obesec, % | 53 | 18 | 39 |
| Parent’s description of child’s weightb, % | |||
| Very underweight | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Slightly underweight | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| About the right weight | 50 | 86 | 64 |
| Slightly overweight | 27 | 14 | 22 |
| Very overweight | 14 | 0 | 8 |
a
The following data were missing: age for 7 adults; race/ethnicity for 1 adult; income for 6 adults; body mass index for 6 adults; acculturation for 1 adult; sex for 2 children; body mass index for 10 children; parent-described weight for 10 children. Values expressed as percentages unless otherwise indicated.
b
Frequencies may not total 100% because of rounding.
c
Overweight = 25.0 – 29.9 kg/m2; obese = ≥30 kg/m2.
d
Acculturation was calculated for Latino participants only; the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics was used (20).