Active and Healthy Families: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Culturally Tailored Obesity Intervention for Latino Children.
OBJECTIVE
There is a critical need for culturally relevant interventions to address obesity among Latino children, who have a greater risk of obesity and diabetes than non-Hispanic white children. To test the impact of a family-centered, culturally tailored obesity intervention delivered through group medical appointments on body mass index (BMI) and other measures of cardiovascular risk among Latino children.


METHODS
In a randomized controlled trial, 55 parent-child dyads were assigned to Active and Healthy Families (AHF) or a usual care wait-list control condition. Dyads were eligible if they spoke Spanish and if the child received care in a federally qualified health center, was aged 5 to 12 years, had a BMI in the 85th percentile or higher, and had not participated in AHF. The 10-week AHF intervention included biweekly group sessions delivered by a registered dietitian, physician, and promotora triad. Sessions covered topics such as parenting, screen time, healthy beverages, physical activity, and stress due to immigration.


RESULTS
Child BMI (kg/m(2)) decreased (-0.50) in the AHF group and increased (+0.32) in the control group, yielding an adjusted difference in change of -0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI] -1.28, -0.27). Children assigned to AHF also exhibited relative improvements over controls in BMI z score (-0.10; 95% CI -0.19, -0.02) and triglycerides (-26.8 mg/dL; 95% CI -50.1, -3.6), but no significant between-group differences were observed for blood pressure or other fasting blood measures.


CONCLUSIONS
AHF resulted in reductions in child BMI, BMI z score, and triglycerides. AHF, which was designed for low-income Latino families, has potential to reduce health disparities, but future studies are needed to determine long-term impact.
Division of Community Health and Human Development, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Calif. Electronic address: jfalbe@berkeley.edu.
Jennifer
J
Falbe
Contra Costa Public Health, Contra Costa Health Services, Martinez, Calif.
Annabelle A
AA
Cadiz
Division of Community Health and Human Development, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Calif.
Nicole K
NK
Tantoco
Division of Community Health and Human Development, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Calif.
Hannah R
HR
Thompson
Division of Community Health and Human Development, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Calif.
Kristine A
KA
Madsen
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015444:Exercise; D005192:Family Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016487:Parenting; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy*
Hispanic American; child; community health center; family; obesity