For many parents, obesity is the most pressing issue for their children's health and wellness. The prevalence of fatty, sugary foods mixed with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle has caused many kids to gain excess weight with more frequency than ever in history.
However, various communities have different needs and concerns. According to a recent poll from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, most U.S. adults rank obesity as their main health concern. But when the results are segmented by racial and ethnic backgrounds, the issues troubling parents about their kids take on a different slant. For white and Hispanic parents, childhood obesity is their greatest health concern. Among white respondents, the condition was ranked the top problem by 38 percent of parents, while 47 percent of Hispanic respondents felt the same. However, their priorities quickly shift after that point.
After ranking childhood obesity as the top problem troubling kids, white respondents to the survey stated that drug abuse and smoking were the most important issues to them, while Hispanic parents ranked bullying and drug abuse after obesity.
Smoking of greater concern to African-American parents
Conversely, African American respondents ranked childhood obesity as their sixth main concern about their kids' health. They were more worried about their kids smoking, abusing drugs, being involved in school violence, testing positive for a sexually transmitted disease and teen pregnancy.
"Childhood obesity remains a top concern, but it is essential to look at differences in perception based on race and ethnicity," Matthew Davis, M.D., director of the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, said in a press release. "Medical and public health providers should be aware that different communities could have different priorities about what health problems are most important."
Taking preventative measures against these problems
Just as communities differ based on their history, environment and other factors, individual families can experience similar disparities from wider racial and ethnic trends. Paying attention to the needs of the child can also enable parents to take better care of their kids, or work together to avoid health hazards. Finding healthy alternatives to their favorite food can help with issues like obesity and potentially achieve better results than outright denying them the things they enjoy. Thankfully, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes that awareness about the problem may be leading to a decrease in its frequency.
Smoking and drugs are more difficult to find safe substitutes for, but the American Lung Association suggested that parents keep smoking out of their home – which may mean they must quit the habit themselves. The association also recommended against issuing threats or ultimatums, but instead talking with the child about the problem. Due to nicotine's addictive nature, it noted that parents should be patient while trying to get their kids to quit the habit. Meanwhile, the CDC listed tobacco use as a chronic disease, so preventing its use can stop a chronic pediatric medical condition early on.
