Experiences of discrimination and snacking behavior in Black and Latinx children.

Abstract

Little is known about how discrimination contributes to health behaviors in childhood. We examined the association between children's exposure to discrimination and their snacking behavior in a sample of youth of color (N = 164, M_age = 11.5 years, 49% female, 60% Black, 40% Hispanic/Latinx). We also explored whether children's body mass index (BMI) or sleepiness moderated the association between discrimination and calorie consumption. The significant link between discrimination and calorie consumption was moderated by children's BMI, such that discrimination was associated with calorie consumption for children with BMI percentiles above 79%. Children's sleepiness did not serve as an additional moderator. Efforts to promote health should consider children's broader socio-contextual experiences, including discrimination, as factors that may shape eating patterns.