To conduct a systematic review of obesity prevention interventions in Latinx children ages birth to 6 years published in any language from 2010–2020.

We used PubMed, ERIC, PsycINFO, Scopus, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and Google Scholar databases to conduct a search on May 1 2020, January 1 2021 and November 1 2022. We included randomised controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies and non-randomised interventions with a control or comparison group that reported measures of adiposity.

Interventions taking place in the United States, Latin America or the Caribbean.

Latinx children ages birth to 6 years.

Of 8601 unique records identified, forty manuscripts about thirty-nine unique studies describing thirty distinct interventions in the United States and nine interventions in Latin America and the Caribbean met our inclusion criteria. Interventions were primarily based in early care and education centres (n 13) or combined home settings, for example home and community (n 7). Randomised interventions taking place in community or home settings were more likely to report significant reductions in adiposity or weight-related outcomes compared to other settings. Using the Cochrane risk of bias tools for randomised and non-randomised studies, we judged thirty-eight randomised trials and nine non-randomised interventions to have a high or unclear risk of bias.

The results highlight a need for more rigorous designs and more effective intervention strategies in Latinx children at risk for having overweight and obesity. Registered with the PROSPERO database for systematic reviews under registration number CRD42020161339.

Family caregivers (FCs) of cancer patients experience burden of care. The aims of this study are to describe the caregiving phenomenon among FCs of advanced cancer patients in a Latino community and to identify caregiver and patient characteristics associated with high-intensity subjective caregiver burden.

In this cross-sectional study, advanced cancer patient–caregiver dyads assessed at a Palliative Care Unit in Santiago, Chile, enrolled in a longitudinal observational study were included. FCs completed questions to describe the caregiving phenomenon and surveys to assess burden of care, psychological distress, and perception of patients’ symptoms; patients completed surveys to assess physical distress and quality of life (QOL). We explored associations between high-intensity subjective caregiver burden with caregiver and patient variables.

Two hundred seven dyads were analyzed. FCs were on average 50 years old and 75% female. Thirty-two percent of FCs experienced high-intensity subjective burden of care. Eighty two percent of FCs took care of the patient daily and 31% took care of the patient alone. In univariate analysis, high-intensity caregiver burden was associated with caregiver depression (59% vs. 27%; p < 0.001), anxiety (86% vs. 67%; p = 0.003), caring for the patient alone (45% vs. 24%; p = 0.002), perception of patient symptom distress, patient religion, and worse patient QOL (mean [standard deviation] 58 [33] vs. 68 [27]; p = 0.03). In multivariate analysis, FC depression (OR [95% confidence interval] 3.07 [1.43–6.60]; p = 0.004), anxiety (3.02 [1.19–7.71]; p = 0.021), caring for the patient alone (2.69 [1.26–5.77]; p = 0.011), caregiver perception of patient’s fatigue (1.26 [1.01–1.58]; p = 0.04), and patient’s religion (3.90 [1.21–12.61]; p = 0.02) were independently associated with caregiver burden.

FCs of advanced cancer patients in a Latino community frequently experience high-intensity burden of care and are exposed to measures of objective burden. High-intensity burden is associated with both caregiver and patient factors. Policies should aim to make interventions on patient–caregiver dyads to decrease caregiving burden among Latinos.

To examine the association between language use – predominantly English, English and Spanish equally and predominantly Spanish – and food insecurity among Hispanic adults residing in the USA, 1999–2018.

Pooled cross-sectional study design.

United States.

15 073 Hispanic adults.

Compared with Hispanic adults who predominantly spoke English and after adjusting for age, sex, family income-to-poverty ratio, education level and employment status, Hispanic adults who spoke English and Spanish equally (OR = 1·28, 95 % CI = 1·05, 1·56) or predominantly Spanish (OR = 1·25, 95 % CI = 1·04, 1·49) had higher odds of food insecurity. After stratifying by country of birth, language use was associated with higher odds of food insecurity only for Hispanic adults born outside of the USA, but not for Hispanic adults born in the USA. Hispanic adults born outside of the USA who spoke English and Spanish equally (OR = 1·27, 95 % CI = 1·04, 1·55) or spoke predominantly Spanish (OR = 1·24, 95 % CI = 1·04, 1·48) had higher odds of food insecurity when compared with those who predominantly spoke English.

Foreign-born Hispanic adults who speak predominantly Spanish, or English and Spanish equally, have higher odds of food insecurity. Food and nutrition assistance programmes that serve Hispanic immigrants should make sure to provide linguistically and culturally appropriate services to this population.

Latino patients have been shown to engage in advance care planning (ACP) at much lower rates than non-Latino White patients. Coping strategies, such as the use of emotional support, may differentially relate to engagement in ACP among Latino and non-Latino patients. The present study sought to examine the moderating effect of ethnicity on the relationship between the use of emotional support as a coping strategy and completion of advance directives.

The present study employed a weighted sample (Nw = 185) of Latino and non-Latino White patient participants in Coping with Cancer III, an National Institutes of Health–sponsored, multisite, longitudinal, observational cohort study of patients with advanced cancer and their informal caregivers and oncology providers designed to evaluate Latino/non-Latino disparities in ACP and end-of-life cancer care. Main and interaction effects of Latino ethnicity and use of emotional support on patient use of advance directives were estimated as odds ratios.

Use of emotional support was associated with dramatically lower do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order completion to a greater extent among Latino as compared to non-Latino patients (interaction AOR = 0.33, p = 0.005). Interaction effects were not statistically significant for living will or health-care proxy form completion.

Use of emotional support is associated with lower odds of completing DNRs among Latino than among non-Latino patients. Seeking and/or receiving emotional support may deter Latino patients from completing DNR orders. Research is needed to address both emotional needs and practicalities to ensure high quality end-of-life care among Latino patients with cancer.

To examine the association between food security and feeding practices in Latinx parents of pre-school-aged children and examine possible effect modification by parental self-efficacy.

Cross-sectional assessment using the US Department of Agriculture screener for food insecurity as the exposure and sub-scales of the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire as the outcome with the General Self-Efficacy Scale as an effect modifier. Non-parametric descriptive statistics were used to compare groups based on food security status.

Two Latinx communities with low-socioeconomic status in Texas in 2017 and in Oregon in 2018–2019.

Latinx parents of preschool aged children, English and Spanish speaking. Dyads were excluded if they had moderate-severe developmental disabilities, a seizure disorder with a restrictive diet or taking medications known to influence typical growth.

Of the 168 families in Oregon, 65 (38 %) reported food insecurity, and 10 (21 %) of the 48 families in Texas reported food insecurity. Food security was associated with greater parental monitoring practices in both the Texas and Oregon samples. We observed no differences in creating a healthy home food environment by food security status in either sample. Parental general self-efficacy showed evidence of effect modification in Oregon - only parents with lower self-efficacy showed a significant association between food security and feeding practices.

Latinx parents of preschool children experience high levels of food insecurity, which are associated with maladaptive parental feeding practices. Greater parental general self-efficacy moderates this association and could buffer the effects of food insecurity on children’s health.

To explore best practices and challenges in providing school meals during COVID-19 in a low-income, predominantly Latino, urban–rural region.

Semi-structured interviews with school district stakeholders and focus groups with parents were conducted to explore school meal provision during COVID-19 from June to August 2020. Data were coded and themes were identified to guide analysis. Community organisations were involved in all aspects of study design, recruitment, data collection and analysis.

Six school districts in California’s San Joaquin Valley.

School district stakeholders (n 11) included food service directors, school superintendents and community partners (e.g. funders, food cooperative). Focus groups (n 6) were comprised of parents (n 29) of children participating in school meal programmes.

COVID-19-related challenges for districts included developing safe meal distribution systems, boosting low participation, covering COVID-19-related costs and staying informed of policy changes. Barriers for families included transportation difficulties, safety concerns and a lack of fresh foods. Innovative strategies to address obstacles included pandemic-electronic benefits transfer (EBT), bus-stop delivery, community pick-up locations, batched meals and leveraging partner resources.

A focus on fresher, more appealing meals and greater communication between school officials and parents could boost participation. Districts that leveraged external partnerships were better equipped to provide meals during pandemic conditions. In addition, policies increasing access to fresh foods and capitalising on United States Department of Agriculture waivers could boost school meal participation. Finally, partnering with community organisations and acting upon parent feedback could improve school meal systems, and in combination with pandemic-EBT, address childhood food insecurity.

Hispanics often have disparities at the end of life. They are more likely to die full code and less likely to have discussions regarding prognosis and do not resuscitate (DNR)/do not intubate (DNI), despite studies showing Hispanic values comfort over the extension of life. Barriers to patient-centered care include language,socioeconomic status and health literacy.

We evaluated the impact of palliative care (PC) consults on the change of code status and hospice referrals, comparing seriously ill Hispanic and non-Hispanic white patients.

A retrospective cohort study of all white and Hispanic patients referred to the PC service of a county hospital from 2006 to 2012. We evaluated ethnicity, language, code status at admission and after PC consult, and hospice discharge. Chi-squared tests were used to analyze characteristics among three groups: non-Hispanic white, English-speaking Hispanic, and Spanish-speaking Hispanic patients.

Of 925 patients, 511 (55%) were non-Hispanic white, 208 (23%) were English-speaking Hispanic, and 206 (22%) were Spanish-speaking Hispanic patients. On admission, there was no statistically significant difference in code status among the three groups (57%, 64%, and 59% were full code, respectively, p = 0.5). After PC consults, Spanish-speaking Hispanic patients were more likely to change their code status to DNR/DNI when compared with non-Hispanic white and English-speaking Hispanic patients (44% vs. 32% vs. 28%, p = 0.05). Spanish-speaking Hispanic patients were more likely to be discharged to hospice when compared with English-speaking Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites (33%, 29%, and 23%, respectively, p = 0.04).

Spanish-speaking Hispanic patients were more likely to change from full code to DNR/DNI compared with non-Hispanic white and English-speaking Hispanic patients, despite similar code status preferences on admission. They were also more likely to be discharged to hospice. PC consults may play an important role in helping patients to align their care with their values and may prevent unwanted aggressive interventions at the end of life.