Turn off the TV and Dance! Participation in Culturally Tailored School Based Health Interventions: Implications for Obesity Prevention among Mexican Immigrant Children

The purpose of this study was to identify facilitators and barriers to participation in a folkloric dance and screen time reduction program designed for 7-11 year old Latina girls and their families and to discuss potential applications of findings for obesity prevention intervention design. The study was conducted in Redwood City, California, among 40 parent and 43 child participants. Quantitative data analysis of 470 pages of narrative transcripts was done using NVivo software 8.0 and the Spradley ethnographic method. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were calculated for the relationships between the emergent domains and participation data using two intervals of participation. Results revealed that sustained participation was most strongly influenced by parent perceptions of “perceived gains” in their children: better self esteem, confidence, improved attitude, improved grades etc. Parents reporting these gains showed a positive correlation with mean attendance data (r= .45, p=.003). Alternatively, if a parent reported “discomfort” subthemes, such as child bullying, participation in the interventions was negatively associated with attendance (r= -.38, p=.02). Our findings suggest that prevention interventions that are family-centered, school-based, community oriented, and focus on tangible short term gains in children may generate solid participation rates, enhance social capital and community empowerment among Spanish speaking families.