Native American children have the highest rates of obesity in the United States. These high rates of obesity can put them at greater risk for severe consequences from COVID-19, and for diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life.
The disparities in obesity rates stem from a history of colonization that led Native American peoples to lose their lands and disrupted traditional food networks, lifestyles favoring rigorous physical activity, and healthy food systems. Today more than 20% of Native American children ages 2 to 5 have obesity, compared to the 13.7% of U.S. children of all other races.
Home visiting, in which trained nurses, social workers, or child development specialists provide guidance to pregnant women and new families on healthy child development practices, has proven benefits. A new study shows it may even help prevent obesity among Navajo infants.
A study published in the Journal of American Medical Association examined the impact of an innovative six-lesson home visit program aimed at teaching Navajo mothers of infants about responsive feeding and the importance of avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages. The program was designed in partnership with tribal communities to address specific infant feeding practices that are associated with increased risk for early childhood obesity, including sugar-sweetened beverage consumption; introduction of foods other than breastmilk or formula before six months postpartum; and feeding styles that are overly restrictive or pressured.
