Online Program

288208
A parent focused intervention of school age children aimed to promote healthy lifestyles of hispanic families


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Anna Brady, B.S.N, Department of Global Public Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA
Jeffrey Cho, B.A., Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA
Cherish Mendoza, B.S.N, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA
Adanna Kpaduwa, B.A., Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA
Sabine Monice, MPH, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA
Healthy behaviors in children are largely influenced by home culture and reinforced by parents. Few interventions have been directed at changing the behavior of the family unit in the Hispanic population who have an increased risk of developing Diabetes Mellitus. Several school-based programs target promoting healthy lifestyles of children but few incorporate the parents in increasing healthy lifestyle choices. This study was aimed at creating an effective intervention directed towards the Hispanic population of parents and students. It focuses on empowering parents of school-age children to choose healthy lifestyle behaviors by increasing awareness and knowledge of identified needs. Partnering with Ulysses Grant Elementary School (UGES) who are 92% Hispanic, a knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) survey assessed healthy lifestyle habits of 10-20 parents, and a focus group of 8-10 parents was performed guided by the Health Belief Model. The focus group assessed healthy lifestyle behaviors, needs, and perceptions of how parent's health behavior habits impact their child's choices. Data was analyzed from these interviews to create a curriculum addressing the needs of the parents and a series of motivational lectures and hands-on activities were implemented. A post-KAP survey was used to assess effectiveness of the intervention after the last lecture was conducted. The intervention increased awareness of how parent's role modeling behaviors and culture of the family unit impact their children's healthy behaviors. Further research needs to be conducted targeting the effectiveness of parent-focused interventions in reducing childhood obesity.

Learning Areas:

Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
List three factors that influence a family unit’s healthy lifestyle choices. Articulate three components of the intervention that was used to increase health behavior awareness of parents.

Keyword(s): Hispanic, Health Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been working as part of a group of graduate students from Loma Linda University Department of Global Public Health with Ulysses Grant Elementary School from October of 2012 to May of 2013 conducting assessments of Hispanic parents to create a curriculum addressing health education targeting healthy behaviors.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.