Engaging girls of color to promote health habits

Issue: Girls are often bombarded with media messages that demand they look a certain way, often thin and white. Healthy Girls, Healthy Women (HGHW) is an initiative that empowers girls of color to become powerful agents of change in their communities via a youth-focused leadership and health education program that promotes healthy eating, physical activity, positive body image and healthy relationships.

Description: HGHW was developed in 2005 to address the health disparities that exist in low-income Boston neighborhoods that are disproportionally affected by illnesses and body image issues associated with obesity. HGHW uses a peer leadership approach in which teen girls are trained to lead workshops for their other 12-18yr old girls at youth-serving organizations.

Lessons Learned: Last year, HGHW directly trained and supported seven high school aged Peer Leaders. These Peer Leaders reached around 250 girls in neighborhoods with high populations of black and Latino residents, via their workshop series and community event. HGHW participants reported gaining knowledge and motivation to make healthier food choices and be more physically active.

Recommendations: HGHW is currently supporting four Peer Leaders to grow into community leaders who address health issues that disproportionately affect low-income, black and Latino communities. HGHW will continue to do so by helping Peer Leaders to plan and implement an advocacy campaign to change a local policy that they identify as important to their community, in addition to their continued role in giving workshops to other youth.