Native culture and language practice have been identified as core supports that have allowed American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities to persevere despite adversity. Native culture and language may be important protective factors against obesity; however, this relationship is understudied in the current literature. High obesity rates among AI/AN young children continue to persist despite Native culture and language practice. Food insecurity is an understudied correlate of obesity and its associated health conditions. This study addresses gaps in the existing literature by examining the association between childhood obesity and food insecurity among 2- to 4-year-old AI/AN children, and by examining whether Native culture and language may support resilience. Food insecurity was used to predict obesity, defined as high body mass index, within a sample from the AI/AN Family and Children Experiences Survey 2015 of 476 children who identify as AI/AN alone or in combination with another race. A Native culture practice index and a Native language use scale were used to moderate the relationship between food insecurity and obesity. Ordinary least square regression was used to explore if boys had higher obesity rates than girls; if food insecurity was positively associated with obesity; and if Native culture and language moderated the relationship between food insecurity and obesity. However, these relationships were not statistically significant. Potential reasons for these findings and directions for future exploration are provided.
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