Alimentación en niños de origen chino y marroquí nacidos en Francia / Food in Chinese and Moroccan origin children born in France

Los movimientos migratorios se acompañan de cambios culturales y sociales que pueden tener consecuencias sobre la salud de los individuos y la alimentación constituye un factor importante a considerar en este proceso adaptativo. Los objetivos de este artículo son conocer los hábitos de lactancia y los comportamientos alimentarios en los niños de origen chino y magrebí nacidos en Francia. La muestra se compone de 195 niños y niñas entre 4 y 6 años de origen marroquí y 70 de origen chino. La encuesta alimentaria, base de la investigación, fue realizada por entrevista directa a las madres. El análisis y valoración de los patrones alimentarios tanto en fase lactante como tras la incorporación de los diferentes tipos de ingestas se realizo con el programa Micro Regal que incorpora las tablas francesas de composición de los alimentos. Se han registrado importantes diferencias entre ambas comunidades inmigrantes. Sólo un 1% de los niños chinos fueron amamantados, aunque la lactancia a biberón es larga y la diversificación alimentaria tardía. Entre los 4 y 6 años las contribuciones energéticas totales son inferiores a las recomendaciones aconsejadas, mientras que las contribuciones en proteínas son más elevadas y en glúcidos significativamente superiores. El 79% de los niños marroquíes disfrutaron de lactancia materna, aunque la duración de ésta se acortó en un mes respecto a lo observado en el país de origen. Entre los 4 y 6 años, frente a las recomendaciones población francesa, la ingesta promedio es superior en los niños marroquíes e inferior en los chinos. En ambas comunidades la proporción de lípidos en la dieta es inferior mientras que la de hidratos de carbono es significativamente más elevada. En ambos colectivos inmigrantes se observa una occidentalización de los comportamientos alimentarios, pero con ritmos y tipologías diferentes (AU)

Migratory movements are often accompanied by cultural and social changes which can have consequences on health. Food is an important factor to be considered for the process of micro-adaptation. This article aims to know feeding habits and eating behaviours in children of Chinese and Moroccan origin born in France. The sample consist of 195 boys and girls between 4 to 6 years old and 70 of Chinese origin. The food survey was done by direct interview mothers. The analysis and assessment of food patterns was held with the Micro Regal program that incorporates the French food composition tables. There have been significant differences between both immigrant communities. Only 1 % of Chinese children were breastfed, although breastfeeding to bottle is long and late food diversification. Between 4 and 6 years total energy contributions are lower than recommended, while contributions in proteins are highest recommendations and significantly higher carbohydrate. 79 % of Moroccan children enjoyed breast-feeding, although the duration was shortened in a month for what is observed in the country of origin. Regarding French recommendations, between 4 and 6 years, the total energy contributions was higher in Moroccan children and lower in the Chinese children. In both communities, the proportion of dietary lipids is less while the carbohydrate is significantly more elevated. Both collective migrants found a Westernization eating behaviors, but with different typologies and rhythms (AU)

Westernization of the nutritional pattern of Chinese children living in France.

This paper reports an analysis of dietary habits of children (aged 0-5 years) born to Chinese immigrant parents living in France. The nutritional investigation was made by face-to-face interviews with the mothers. Data were exploited using the general table of food composition. Chinese newborns are practically never breastfed (10%, compared with 55% of French babies). After 12 months of age, they consume a traditional diet but eat few dairy products (only once per day) and fresh fruits (33% never). They consume many soft drinks (85%). Daily calcium and vitamin C intakes are lower than the recommended intakes for preschool children. Dietary habits of the children of first-generation Chinese immigrants are still traditional in terms of the late introduction of new food and the composition of meals, but we observed Westernization of dietary habits such as reduced breastfeeding and high consumption of soft drinks.

[Maternal weight gain during pregnancy in various immigrant communities living in France]. / Gain de poids maternel durant la grossesse dans certaines communautés vivant en France.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to estimate, by geographic origin, the average situation of pregnant women who recently immigrated into the Paris area, using weight gain during pregnancy and infant birth weight. METHODS: The clinical files of 559 pregnant women who attended the antenatal clinic at the Lariboisière Hospital (Paris) in 1997 and gave birth in this same hospital were analyzed. The mothers had immigrated from North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Sri Lanka, China and metropolitan France. The successive body mass indexes were calculated for each woman, as well as the increase of this index during the first semester of gestation, until the third trimester and during the entire gestation. Averages in studied communities were compared with those of the non-immigrant population attending the same hospital department. The birth weights of infants from the different communities were compared with those of children born to non-immigrant mothers. RESULTS: Women from the various communities studied (with the exception of the Turkish community) showed a lower gestation weight gain than non-immigrant French women. Independently of the pregestational weight, weight gain during pregnancy accounted for 20% of the initial weight among women from North Africa, Turkey and China who gave birth to children whose birth weight was not significantly different from that of the non-immigrant French children. The mean weight gain corresponded to 15.8% of the pregestation weight in Sub-Saharan women and 18% in Sri Lanka women. Birth weights of children in these two communities were significantly lower than the French reference population. Compared with the weights observed in their original country, the frequency of low birth weight was lower and the mean birth weight was higher. CONCLUSION: Women coming from North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia who recently immigrated into France gave birth to children of satisfactory birthweight. The number of low birth weights decreased to the frequencies observed in their original countries. Irrespective for their reasons for immigrating, immigrant families living in France have newborns with a sufficient birth weight to allow satisfactory growth.

[Increase during the last 20 years of body mass of children 0 to 4 years of age born to Maghrebian immigrants]. / Evolution en 20 ans de la corpulence des enfants de 0 à 4 ans issus de l'immigration maghrébine.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to show the increase, in 20 years, of the prevalence of obesity of the children from Maghrebian origin, living in Parisian area, and their importance compared to non-immigrated children of the same age (birth to 4 years), according to the national French references. METHODS: The Body Mass Index (Weight/Height 2) was calculated at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 years among 517 children born in the seventies (period A) and among 196 children born in the nineties (period B) in a longitudinal study. Obesity was defined in comparison with the 97th percentile of the French references; the children having BMI equal or superior to the 97th percentile of the French references were regarded as obese. RESULTS: The ratio of obese children was higher in the sample from Maghrebian origin compared to the French references, in period A and in period B. But the obese children were also more numerous among children born after 1990, compared to their frequency in the seventies. The prevalence of the obesity has increased from 8% to 13%, in 20 years, among the children aged from birth to 4 years. We can observe that the mean age of the adiposity rebound has decreased: 45.5% of the Maghrebian children born in the seventies had an adiposity rebound at 48 months or earlier, and 66% among Maghrebian children born in the nineties. CONCLUSION: The quantity and the kind of food provided to young children, from the age of the diversified feeding, involved in decreasing energy expenditure, can be responsible for overweight. This study shows that it is important to be vigilant with overweight children with precocious adiposity rebound, in order to avoid a durable obesity at adulthood and its consequences on health.