Alcohol drinking, smoking and food insecurity in Venezuelan parents as potential determinants of their children’s growth

Abstract Life conditions are key factors for defining growth and development of future generations. Exposure of parents to alcohol, tobacco, food insecurity conditions and adverse socioeconomic environment as part of their lifestyle and quality of life, have been reported to affect their children’s health and wellbeing. Prenatal exposures have been extensively documented, but less is known about influences from parental harmful habits and disadvantaged environment during children‘s school years. The aim of this study is to examine potential associations between parental habits and environmental socioeconomic conditions, including food security status, and anthropometric characteristics of their children. Parental smoking, alcohol intake, food security, and socioeconomic status (SES) were explored in parents of 1730 children recruited at private and public schools in eight Venezuelan cities. These qualitative variables were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire. Weight, height and body mass index were measured using standardized methods in children. Height and BMI were converted to z-scores according to WHO international growth reference. Low BMI z-scores in children were significantly associated with mothers consuming alcohol. The frequency of children with short height was higher in households with impaired access to quality foods and where mothers reported low and very low food security status. In brief, our study indicates that social environment could have detrimental effects on child anthropometry thus, affecting their wellbeing.