Differences in Eating and Activity Behaviors, Health History, and Biomarkers among Normal-Weight, Overweight, and Obese Rural Midwestern Hispanic Women

This project examined differences in health history, eating and activity behaviors, and biomarkers across three weight categories of rural, Midwestern, US-born Hispanic women as a way to identify critical factors for improving long-term health. Using a cross-sectional descriptive design, a convenience sample of 70 women, aged 19 to 69 years, completed general health, demographic, food frequency, and physical activity questionnaires. Height, weight, blood pressure, and waist circumferences were measured and recorded. One-way analyses of variance and χ2 analyses were completed. Differences in the presence of diabetes and hypertension were demonstrated across the weight categories. In all three weight categories, fat intakes exceeded and fruit, vegetable, and dairy intakes were below current recommendations. Higher mean daily grain food intake was found for women of normal weight compared to overweight women (7.1±5.5 vs 3.6±2.3 servings, respectively, P=0.01). A greater proportion of normal-weight women (61.9%) met the targeted physical activity level compared to overweight (42.9%) and obese (21.4%) women (χ2=8.29, P=0.016). Because differences in physical activity rather than energy intakes might be a source of energy imbalances that affect weight, additional work to identify behavioral determinants that promote adoption of healthful activity behaviors will be a key component in designing effective educational strategies for these Hispanic women.