Recorded presentation

Susan C Duerksen, BA, MPH(c)¹, Barbara Baquero, BA¹, Nadia R. Campbell, MPH¹, John Elder, PhD², Elva M. Arredondo, PhD¹, Thomas McKenzie¹, and Guadalupe X. Ayala, PhD, MPH³. (1) Center for Behavioral and Community Health Studies, San Diego State University, 9245 Sky Park Court, Suite 221, San Diego, CA 92123, 619-594-3146, sduerksen@projects.sdsu.edu, (2) Center for Behavioral and Community Health Studies, San Diego State University, Graduate School of Public Health, 9245 Sky Park Court, Suite 221, San Diego, CA 92123, (3) Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina School of Public Health, CB #7440, Rosenau Hall 315, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7440

This session describes an ongoing community trial to prevent childhood weight gain among elementary-aged Latino children in south San Diego County. The purpose of the study, Aventuras para Niņos, is to design, implement, and evaluate an environmentally-centered obesity prevention intervention for Latino children and their families targeting physical activity and dietary behaviors. The study is a 2X2 factorial design, with neighborhoods (defined by 12 primary school attendance areas in three school districts) randomly assigned to one of four conditions: micro-environmental intervention only ("micro"); macro-environmental intervention only ("macro"); micro-environmental plus macro-environmental intervention ("micro + macro"); or a measurement-only control condition. The micro-environmental intervention targets structural aspects of the home and household rule setting delivered via promotoras and tailored to the needs of individual families. The macro-environmental intervention involves promotoras working in various environments (e.g., apartment complex, schools, and neighborhoods) to increase awareness about environmental influences and promote environmental change. The micro- and macro-environmental interventions, and their interaction, will be compared with a measurement-only control condition. The south San Diego County region has a population of 290,000, 60% of whom are Latinos. Primary study participants are approximately 900 Latino children enrolled in grades K through 2 in public schools. The child's primary caregiver is recruited for concurrent participation in measurement and home- and community-based intervention activities. The study's primary outcome is the body mass index of the K-2 participants, and will be measured at baseline, 12, 24, and 36 months. Secondary outcomes include observations and reported diet, exercise, and sedentary behavior and related environmental characteristics. Moderator variables include acculturation, socioeconomic status, and environmental markers using GIS (geographic information systems). The study is in its 2nd year.

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