Abstract:
Objective: The present study examines whether rural-to-urban migrant youth
consume a greater diversity of high-sugar beverages and fried snacks (HSBFS)
compared with their peers who remain in rural areas. It also tests whether the
association between migration and HSBFS diversity is moderated by migrant
youth’s social engagement with their peers.
Design: Participants were recruited in August and September 2011 following the
completion of primary school (6th grade) and shortly before many rural youth
migrate to urban areas. Participants were re-interviewed six months later. HSBFS
diversity was assessed at follow-up; analyses control for baseline and follow-up
characteristics.
Setting: Baseline interviews occurred in rural Southeast Haiti. Follow-up interviews
of migrants occurred at urban destinations in Haiti.
Subjects : The sample includes 215 youth (mean age 15·9 years; 43·3 % female;
21·9 % rural-to-urban migrants) who were interviewed at baseline and follow-up.
Results: Rural-to-urban migrant youth consumed a greater diversity of HSBFS
products at follow-up than their rural counterparts (b=0·70, P ≤0·05). Moreover,
we found that this relationship varied by level of peer social engagement. Youth
who migrated and had a high degree of peer social engagement consumed 2·2
additional types of HSBFS products daily than their counterparts who remained in
rural areas and had low peer social engagement.
Conclusions: Higher HSBFS diversity among migrant youth is consistent with the
patterns proposed by the nutrition transition. Interactions with peers may have an
important influence as migrant youth adopt new dietary preferences. Emerging
dietary patterns among youth migrants have important implications for health
trajectories and the development of degenerative diseases.
