Increasing healthy behaviors in adolescents of Mexican heritage in rural emerging Latino communities: results from a school-based health intervention pilot study.
The rapid Latino population growth in emerging Latino communities (EmLCs) presents a challenge to health care providers as most current health interventions and health promotion programs intended for Latinas/os are based on characteristics of established Latino communities (EsLCs). This study addresses the gap in the literature by modifying and testing the beginning efficacy of a school-based health intervention for adolescents of Mexican heritage in a rural EmLC. Seventy adolescents of Mexican heritage attending a rural middle school participated in the intervention. Paired samples t-tests were performed to determine differences between healthy behaviors at post-intervention compared to pre-intervention. Significant improvements in participants' physical activity and healthy eating were observed between pre-intervention and post-intervention. A school-based health intervention designed to increase healthy behaviors of adolescents of Mexican heritage in a rural EmLC was successful.
Villalba
José A
JA
Department of Counseling and Educational Development, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 221 Curry, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA. javillal@uncg.edu
Amirehsani
Karen
K
Lewis
Todd F
TF
D000293:Adolescent; D057189:Checklist; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D009657:North Carolina; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012424:Rural Population; D012574:Schools
Pediatrics. 2008 May;121(5):1052-6
18450912
J Rural Health. 2004 Summer;20(3):237-45
15298098
Am J Public Health. 2004 Oct;94(10):1675-8
15451729
J Rural Health. 2007 Summer;23(3):228-37
17565523
Annu Rev Public Health. 1994;15:487-509
8054096
Am J Public Health. 2004 Oct;94(10):1661-3
15451725
J Adolesc Health. 2009 Jul;45(1):8-24
19541245