PD942 - CHILDHOOD OBESITY. POLITICS GONE WRONG?

PD942

CHILDHOOD OBESITY. POLITICS GONE WRONG?

C. Flores^1,*, E. Diaz ¹, J. Gonzalez², R. E. Yanez³

¹Private Practice, Huixquilucan, ²Hospital Español, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico, ³Diabetes Bien, Tarragona, Spain

Rationale: Recent school bans on ultra-processed foods in Mexico highlight a critical disconnection between school and home food environments. This study evaluates parental perceptions and barriers to dietary compliance to further design an educational intervention that translates restrictive public policies into practical clinical tools for families.

Methods: A cross-sectional study utilized an expert-validated survey to assess dietary practices and logistical barriers among 181 parents in the Mexico City and its metropolitan area. Addressing the identified clinical needs, an educational manual was developed based on cognitive constructivism and sociocultural theory, focusing on behavioral modification.

Results: Despite reported adherence to school regulations, 74.6% of families continue to provide ultra-processed foods. When exploring logistical barriers, only 9.4% identified a lack of time as a primary obstacle, 25.4% cited a "lack of ideas" for meal preparation, indicating significant cognitive load. A strong social desirability bias was observed, parental self-reporting regarding the exclusion of sugary drinks and the economic drivers of food selection heavily contradicted national epidemiological data. Despite the prohibitions, 33.7% reject the new laws and perceive them as useless to prevent childhood obesity. 

Conclusion: School-based dietary restrictions remain insufficient without strategies that alleviate domestic habits and comprehension of nutritional needs. Empowering school-aged children in their self-care is essential to sustainably mitigate the obesogenic environment and ensure policy adoption. Developing new educational tools may help families understand nutritional necessities and the origin of the prohibitions.

References: Shamah-Levy T Salud publica de Mexico. 2023 Jun; 65: p. s218-s224.

Rodríguez-Ramírez Salud Pública Mexicana. 2020 Dec; 62(6): p. 693-703.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared