Food Security and Obesity among Mexican Agricultural Migrant Workers

José Castañeda, Graciela Caire-Juvera, Sergio Sandoval, Pedro Alejandro Castañeda, Alma Delia Contreras, Gloria Elena Portillo and María Isabel Ortega-Vélez
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José Castañeda: Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Hermosillo 83304, Mexico
Graciela Caire-Juvera: Nutrition Division, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Hermosillo 83304, Mexico
Sergio Sandoval: Regional Development Division, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Hermosillo 83304, Mexico
Pedro Alejandro Castañeda: Social Sciences Division, University of Sonora, Hermosillo 83000, Mexico
Alma Delia Contreras: Nutrition Division, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Hermosillo 83304, Mexico
Gloria Elena Portillo: Nutrition Division, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Hermosillo 83304, Mexico
María Isabel Ortega-Vélez: Nutrition Division, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Hermosillo 83304, Mexico

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 21, 1-11

Abstract: Mexican migrant farm workers are one of the poorest and most marginalized social groups within the country. They face the double burden of malnutrition, food insecurity, as well as harsh living and labor conditions. Objective : To examine the relationship between household food insecurity (HFI) and obesity in a population of migrant farm workers in highly modernized agribusiness areas of Northwest Mexico. Methods : This was a cross-sectional study with a concentric (site) ( n = 146 households) and systematic selection of participants (adult men and women). Methods included questionnaires regarding socio-demographic characteristics, food security, diet (two non-consecutive 24-h recalls), and physical activity (PA). Anthropometric data included height, weight, and waist circumference. Data analysis covered descriptive statistics, multivariate linear and logistic regression. Results : Sample showed 75% prevalence of overweight and obesity, while 87% of households reported some level of HFI. Mild HFI resulted in five times more probability of farm workers’ obesity (OR = 5.18, 95% CI: 1.37–19.58). However, there was a protective effect of HFI for obesity among men (OR 0.089, 95% CI: 0.01–0.58) in a context of intense labor-related PA. Conclusion : There is a difference by gender in the relationship of HFI with obesity prevalence related perhaps to the energy expenditure of male agricultural migrant workers.

Keywords: food insecurity; obesity; migrant agricultural workers; Mexico; public health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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