Advancing Active and Healthy Families

Project Title

Active and Healthy Families: A Pediatric Overweight Group Appointment Program for Latinos

Project Summary

This project, launched in 2018 aims to address childhood obesity. Latino children have among the highest rates of early childhood obesity of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. Over a third (38%) of US Latino Children are overweight or obese. Many Latinos face unique barriers to maintaining good health, such as those related to low wages and limited access to employer-provided health insurance, language, culture, and immigration. In addition, there appears to be a cultural perception that heavier children are healthier. Thus, it is imperative to develop and evaluate culturally and linguistically tailored obesity interventions for this population.

Active and Healthy Families (AHF) is a family-centered pediatric overweight group appointment program for overweight/obese Latino children developed by Contra Costa Health Services in California. AHF content draws on evidence-based national guidelines and was culturally tailored through interviews with Latino parents and focus groups with parents in the pilot series. Various adaptations were made in order to increase cultural relevance, including emphasizing a family-centered program, adding a promotora (community health worker), and considering risk factors specific to Latino children. With the guidance of these comprehensive AHF materials, we will pilot the program at the Children’s Medical Practice of the Bayview Medical Center and assess whether this culturally tailored family-based program leads to significant decreases in child body mass index (BMI) and other measures in addition to risk factors of obesity among our target population.

Read more about Active and Healthy Families developed by Contra Costa Health.

Project Details