Growth of children and socioeconomic status of Mexican‐American farmworker families in Tulare County, California: 1969 vs 1989

Comparison of the size of Mexican‐American children from two samples of farmworker families living in Tulare County, one drawn in 1969 (24 families with 52 children 0–7 years old), the other in 1989 (95 families with 226 children 0–9 years old) reveals a parallel improvement in total family income and physical growth. However, children in families with incomes below 70% of the poverty line in 1989 showed generally lower Z‐scores in weight for age, height for age and weight for height compared to families with higher income. These differences in weight for age and height for age reached statistical significance (p < .01) for children 2–4 years old. This age‐group differential emphasizes the need for close monitoring of children's physical growth in order to appropriately target compensatory interventions.

Key words:

• Anthropometry
• growth
• Mexican‐American children
• socioeconomic status