Family Intervention to Prevent Childhood Obesity

Consumption of sweetened beverages, media-viewing, and physical activity patterns are often established during early childhood, and family-based obesity interventions show effectiveness in shaping healthy behaviors and weight outcomes for young children, including Latino children. Missing from these interventions, however, are methods to increase accessibility and dissemination to multiple family caregivers. The proposed work will use a randomized study design to evaluate the impact a family-based early childhood obesity intervention for Latino families that incorporates evidence-based strategies of in-person childhood obesity interventions, mobile phones, and leverages important determinants of Latino health (e.g. familism, language) in order to decrease ethnic disparities in childhood obesity and cardiovascular risk.

Inclusion Criteria:Adult caregivers of a young child who:self-identify as an individual of Latino descenthave a 2- to 5-year-old child/grandchild who is overweight or obese, defined as having a BMI>85% for age and sexlives with or cares for the child at least 20 hours per week (the relationship does not have to be biologicalspeaks Spanish or Englishability and willingness to participate in the intervention (determined with a Subject Comprehension and Participation Assessment Tool)agrees to complete baseline, 1-, 6-, 12-month post-intervention data collection protocolsExclusion Criteria:Caregivers of a child with:medical conditions related to overweight status such as Prader-Willi Syndrometaking weight loss medicationparticipating in a weight loss program.