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. 2022 Feb;36(2):259-268.
doi: 10.1177/08901171211049679. Epub 2021 Nov 18.

Addressing Hispanic Obesity Disparities Using a Community Health Worker Model Grounded in Motivational Interviewing

Louis D Brown  1 , Denise Vasquez  1 , Diane I Lopez  1 , Erin M Portillo  2
Affiliations

Addressing Hispanic Obesity Disparities Using a Community Health Worker Model Grounded in Motivational Interviewing

Louis D Brown et al. Am J Health Promot. 2022 Feb.

Abstract

Purpose: To determine whether Hispanic residents receiving the Healthy Fit intervention enhanced with Motivational Interviewing (MI) experienced greater improvements in body composition, relative to participants receiving the initial intervention.

Design: Quasi-experimental evaluation.

Setting: El Paso, Texas.

Sample: Among 656 baseline participants, 374 (54%) completed the 12-month assessment.

Intervention: In Healthy Fit, community health workers (CHWs) promote nutrition and exercise. To strengthen intrinsic motivation and help participants overcome barriers to change, we incorporated a 30-minute motivational interview into the baseline assessment. Follow-up phone calls at 1, 3, and 6 months were identical across conditions.

Measures: CHWs assessed body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP) using a bioelectrical impedance scale.

Analysis: Regression models estimated differences between intervention conditions on change in BMI and BFP from baseline to the 12-month assessment.

Results: Participants receiving MI had 2.13 times higher odds of losing weight (OR = 2.14, 95% CI [1.30, 3.53], P = .003) and 2.59 times higher odds of reduced BFP (OR = 2.59, 95% CI [1.51, 4.41], P < .001), relative to initial intervention participants. MI participants lost an average of 1.23 kg (2.71 lbs.) and their BFP declined 2% over 12 months.

Conclusion: Findings suggest CHW use of MI is a promising approach for promoting incremental changes in diet and exercise, which Healthy Fit integrates into a low-cost intervention.

Keywords: community health workers; health equity; hispanic health disparities; motivational interviewing; obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Consort flow diagram of participant selection and allocation.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Body mass index and body fat percentage from baseline to 12-month follow-up among Healthy Fit participants who received a motivational interview for diet and exercise, as compared to participants receiving the standard intervention, adjusted for covariates (n = 374).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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