Outcomes from a culturally tailored diabetes prevention program in Hispanic families from a low-income school: Horton Hawks Stay Healthy (HHSH).
The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a minimal, tailored diabetes prevention program for families that could be delivered in elementary school settings.



Families were eligible for the program if they had at least one child aged 8 to 12 years old attending the elementary school who was at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Families attended ten 90-minute sessions with exercise, cooking demonstrations, and healthy lifestyle lessons. Height, weight, and self-reported behavior were assessed in parents and height and weight in children before and after classes.



A total of 82 parents (2% men, 98% women) and 62 children (47% boys and 53% girls) enrolled in the program across 3 replications. Parents had an average weight loss from baseline to the end of the program of 1.5 lb (P = .05). There was a large increase in the number of parents who self-reported engaging in leisure-time physical activity as a result of participating in the program (14% vs 64%; P < .01). There were no changes in children's body mass index percentile or z score as a result of the program.



Delivering a diabetes prevention program in an elementary school setting was effective for increasing diabetes-related knowledge, chronic disease awareness, and self-reported healthy behavior in low-income Spanish-speaking families.
Coleman
Karen J
KJ
Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Research and Evaluation, Pasadena, California (Dr Coleman, Ms Shordon)
Ocana
Leticia L
LL
The Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute, La Jolla, California (Ms Ocana, Ms Walker, Ms Araujo, Dr Philis-Tsimikas)
Walker
Chris
C
The Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute, La Jolla, California (Ms Ocana, Ms Walker, Ms Araujo, Dr Philis-Tsimikas)
Araujo
Rachel A
RA
The Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute, La Jolla, California (Ms Ocana, Ms Walker, Ms Araujo, Dr Philis-Tsimikas)
Gutierrez
Veronica
V
Benton-Franklin Health District, Kennewick, Washington (Ms Gutierrez)
Shordon
Maggie
M
Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Research and Evaluation, Pasadena, California (Dr Coleman, Ms Shordon)
Oratowski-Coleman
Jesica
J
The Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla (Ms Oratowski-Coleman)
Philis-Tsimikas
Athena
A
The Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute, La Jolla, California (Ms Ocana, Ms Walker, Ms Araujo, Dr Philis-Tsimikas)
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003296:Cooking; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards*; D015444:Exercise; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009679:Nuclear Family; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D018579:Patient Selection; D011203:Poverty