The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #63916

Barbara Gottlieb, MD, MPH and Colleen Moore, BA. Brookside Community Health Center, 3297 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, 617 522-4700, bgottlieb@partners.org

Obesity and its consequences present significant and growing public health challenges in the 21st century. Rates of child and adolescent overweight and obesity have increased in the past 2 decades in tandem with increased availability of fat- and calorie-rich super-sized meals, and increase in sedentary activities including television and computer games. Among Latina women, for whom these societal trends dove-tail with gender and ethnically-based patterns of eating and exercising, the risk for obesity, gestational and permanent diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemias is significantly greater than their male and (white) non-Latina counterparts. Latina girls are less likely to participate in sports, and become overweight and obese at younger ages than their counterparts. Go Girl! is a program designed to increase physical activity and promote healthy eating habits among Latina girls ages 8-13 who receive care at a community health center and whose BMI exceeds 27. The program is designed to address multiple layers of influence on girls' behavior, including self, family, peer and community. Each girl is paired with a mentor who encourages behavior change through frequent telephone calls and occasional face-to-face meetings. Girls and their parents attend a series of educational sessions related to physical activity and eating. Each participant receives a pedometer, Walkman, new sneakers, and a journal in which to record goals and achievements related to physical activity and eating. We will present process measures including participation and drop-out rates, participant satisfaction, and outcomes including pre and post BMI measurements, baseline and post-intervention changes in physical activity and eating behaviors.

Learning Objectives:

• participants will learn how to establish a sustainable mentoring project for pre-adolescent girls
• participants will learn how to promote physical activity among overweight pre-adolescent girls

Keywords: Child/Adolescent, Obesity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.