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. 2018 Mar 16;18(1):360.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-5266-3.

ANDALE Pittsburgh: results of a promotora-led, home-based intervention to promote a healthy weight in Latino preschool children

Sharon E Taverno Ross  1 , Bethany Barone Gibbs  2 , Patricia I Documet  3 , Russell R Pate  4
Affiliations

ANDALE Pittsburgh: results of a promotora-led, home-based intervention to promote a healthy weight in Latino preschool children

Sharon E Taverno Ross et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Latino preschool children have higher rates of obesity than preschool children from other racial/ethnic groups; however, few effective, culturally appropriate interventions exist targeting this group. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of a 10-week, promotora-mediated, home-based intervention to promote a healthy weight in Latino preschool children.

Methods: Trained promotoras (community health workers) delivered 10, 90-min weekly interactive and tailored sessions to Latino families living in Allegheny County. Participants were recruited through promotoras' own social networks and community gatherings, flyers, and word of mouth. Primary outcome measures included child body mass index (BMI) z-score and percentile. Secondary outcome measures included child objectively measured physical activity and dietary intake, and the home social and physical environment (e.g., parent health behaviors, parent self-efficacy, parental support, physical activity equipment in the home). The final analysis sample included 49 of 51 participants who completed both baseline and follow-up assessments.

Results: Participants included mothers (33.5 ± 6.1 years old) and their preschool-aged children who were primarily 1st generation immigrants from Mexico (65%). The primary analyses of BMI percentile and z-score showed no change post-intervention. However, there was a significant decrease in child BMI percentile for overweight and obese children from baseline to follow-up (p < .05). We also saw significant pre/post increases in child daily fruit and vegetable intake, and parent moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, fruit and vegetable servings per day, and self-efficacy; and significant decreases in child saturated fat and added-sugar intake, and child and parent screen time (p's < .05).

Conclusions: Despite the short duration of the intervention and follow-up, this pilot study showed promising effects of a promotora-mediated intervention to promote a healthy weight in Latino preschool children.

Keywords: Childhood obesity; Community health worker; Hispanic/Latino; Intervention; Preschool.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The Institutional Review Board at the University of Pittsburgh approved all study protocols. Written, informed parental consent was obtained for children participating in this study, and that written, informed consent was obtained from all participants over the age of 18 years old.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Parent diet, physical activity, and screen time outcomes in the ANDALE Pittsburgh intervention (n = 49). Parents answered semi-quantitative questions at baseline and follow-up. Relative frequency of improving (white bar), worsening (black bar), and the net change (gray bar) are presented. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001 for significant improvement over time by the Wilcoxon test
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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