Self-Esteem and Nutritional Status of Preadolescent Schoolchildren from Two Populations of Indigenous Households in the Mezquital Valley, Mexico

Ayline Daniela Hernández-Ibarra; Marlene Baltazar-Doroteo; María Isabel Chávez-Mota; Sheila Adriana Mendoza-Mojica; Karina Isabel Casco-Gallardo; José Antonio Guerrero-Solano

Authors

Ayline Daniela Hernández-Ibarra Escuela Superior de Tlahuelilpan https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0301-1181
Marlene Baltazar-Doroteo Escuela Superior de Tlahuelilpan https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2044-6172
María Isabel Chávez-Mota Escuela Superior de Tlahuelilpan https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5948-4034
Sheila Adriana Mendoza-Mojica Escuela Superior de Tlahuelilpan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8910-5663
Karina Isabel Casco-Gallardo Escuela Superior de Tlahuelilpan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0094-7416
José Antonio Guerrero-Solano Escuela Superior de Tlahuelilpan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9331-9509

Keywords:

self-steem, schoolchildren, nutritional status, indigenous, Mezquital valley, preadolescents

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the relationship between self-esteem and nutritional status in preadolescent schoolchildren from indigenous households in the Mezquital Valley, Mexico. A quantitative, cross-sectional, and descriptive approach was implemented in a probabilistic sample of 309 children aged 8–12 years, selected through school-grade stratified sampling in the municipalities of Tezontepec de Aldama and Ixmiquilpan during 2024. Sociodemographic and anthropometric data (weight, height, BMI) were collected using standardized protocols; self-esteem was measured with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, validated in Mexico. Statistical analysis included frequencies, percentages, measures of central tendency, and Pearson correlations. Results indicate that most children exhibited moderate self-esteem (44.6%), while 31.9% reported high self-esteem, with a small but significant correlation between self-esteem and BMI (r²=0.290, p<0.05). Additionally, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in this population exceeded national averages, occurring in a context where awareness about body image and mental health remains limited. Healthy self-esteem may promote positive eating habits and emotional well-being, underscoring the need to develop culturally sensitive intervention strategies that strengthen self-esteem and foster healthy body image in these children. This study contributes to expanding knowledge on the relationship between socioemotional factors and nutritional status in vulnerable indigenous populations.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Publication Facts

This article

Author statements

Data availability

N/A

16%

External funding

No

32%

Competing interests

N/A

11%

This journal

Other journals

Articles accepted

71%

33%

Days to publication

218

145

Indexed in

DOAJ
GS

Editor & editorial board: profiles
Academic society: N/A
Publisher: Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo

References

[1] Garey J. Parenting Tweens: What You Should Know. Child Mind Institute: 2025. [cited 2025 January 22]. Available from: https://childmind.org/es/articulo/criar-preadolescentes-todo-lo-que-debe-saber/#:~:text=Se%20llama%20preadolescentes%20.

[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Adolescent and school health. CDC USA.gov: 2025 [cited 2025 January 14/01]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-youth/.

[3] Alharbi N. Self-esteem: a concept analysis. Nurs. Sci. Q. 2022; 35(3): 327-31.

[4] Moradi M, Mozaffari H, Askari M, Azadbakht L. Association between overweight/obesity with depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and body dissatisfaction in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 2022; 62(2): 555-70.

[5] Choi B, Park S. Bullying perpetration, victimization, and low self-esteem: examining their relationship over time. J. Youth. Adolesc. 2021; 50(4): 739-52.

[6] De Coen J, Verbeken S, Goossens L. Body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem in elementary school-aged children: the role of media pressure and trust in parent-child relationships. Front. Psychol. 2024; 14: 1228860.

[7] World Health Organization (WHO). Mental health of adolescents. WHO: 2024. [cited: 2025 January 25]. Available from: https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health].

[8] World Health Organization (WHO). Guidelines on mental health promotive and preventive interventions for adolescents. USA: WHO 2021. Available from: https://iris.who.int/server/api/core/bitstreams/1eaec39c-26e2-4f92-b1b7-6b7785d9e3fa/content

[9] Secretaría de Salud. Trastornos de la conducta alimentaria afectan a 25% de adolescentes. México: Secretaría de Salud; 2023. Available from: https://www.gob.mx/salud/prensa/004-trastornos-de-la-conducta-alimentaria-afectan-a-25-de adolescentes#:~:text=Se%20estima%20que%2C%20en%20M%C3%A9xico,Salud%2C%20Ana%20Rosa%20Garc%C3%ADa%20Berdeja.

[10] Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos. Pueblos y comunidades indígenas. Org.mx. 2025. Available from: https://informe.cndh.org.mx/menu.aspx?id=50067.]

[11] Rodríguez-Garcés CR, Gallegos Fuentes M, Padilla Fuentes G. Autoestima en niños, niñas y adolescentes chilenos: análisis con árboles de clasificación. Rev. Reflexiones. 2021; 100(1): 19-37.

[12] Díaz Loving R. Site under Construction: An Ethnopsychological Representation of the Mexican Self Concept. Interam. J. Psicol. 2005; 39(2): 247-52.

[13] Alaniz G, García Meda M, Moreno C, Ortega J, Morales M, Romo L. Estudio de validación de la escala de autoestima de Rosenberg en población adolescente de educación pública en Jalisco. Rev. Latinoam. Cienc. Soc. Humanid. 2023; 4(6): 255-64.

[14] World Medical Association. World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Participants. JAMA. 2025; 333(1): 71-4.

[15] Secretaría de Salud. Ley General de Salud. Reglamento de la Ley General de Salud en materia de Investigaciones para la salud. Diario Oficial de la Federación. Published on January 6, 1983.

[16] National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Health topics: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2025 [cited: 2025 June 24]. Available from: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics.

[17] Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Preventing Nutritional Disorders in Adolescents by Encouraging a Healthy Relationship with Food. J. Adolesc. Health. 2020; 67(6): 875-9.

[18] Sánchez-Rojas AA, García-Galicia A, Vázquez-Cruz E, Montiel-Jarquín ÁJ, Aréchiga-Santamaría A. Self-image, self-esteem and depression in children and adolescents with and without obesity. Gac. Med. Mex. 2022; 158(3): 118-23.

[19] Jiménez Boraita R, Arriscado Alsina D, Dalmau Torres JM, Gargallo Ibort E. Determinantes de la satisfacción corporal en adolescentes de La Rioja. Rev. Esp. Salud Pública. 2021; 95: e202106077.

[20] Durán Ortiz K. Caracterización del estado emocional de niños y niñas de una Casa del Niño Indígena en Ixmiquilpan, Hidalgo. [Thesis of master] Hidalgo, México: Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo; 2018.

[21] Shamah-Levy T, Gaona-Pineda EB, Cuevas-Nasu L, Valenzuela-Bravo DG, Morales-Ruan C, Rodríguez-Ramírez S, et al. Sobrepeso y obesidad en población escolar y adolescente. Salud Pública Mex. 2024; 66: 404-13.

[22] Lara Castañeda E. Población indígena en México. Características sociodemográficas 2020. Secretaría General del Consejo Nacional de Población (SGCONAPO) 1st ed. México: SGCONAPO: 2024: 40.

[23] Shamah-Levy T, Gaona-Pineda EB, Cuevas-Nasu L, Morales-Ruan C, Valenzuela-Bravo DG, Méndez-Gómez Humaran I, et al. Prevalencias de sobrepeso y obesidad en población escolar y adolescente de México. Ensanut Continua 2020-2022. Salud Pública Méx. 2023; 65: s218-24.

[24] Hernández Armas CA. Otomíes del Valle del Mezquital: retos ante la preservación o la transformación de una cultura. Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo (UAEH): 2016. [cited: 2025 August 19]. Available from: https://www.uaeh.edu.mx/scige/boletin/actopan/n5/e3.html