Active and Healthy Families: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Culturally Tailored Obesity Intervention for Latino Children

ObjectiveThere is a critical need for culturally relevant interventions to address obesity among Latino children, who have a greater risk of obesity and diabetes than non-Hispanic white children. To test the impact of a family-centered, culturally tailored obesity intervention delivered through group medical appointments on body mass index (BMI) and other measures of cardiovascular risk among Latino children.MethodsIn a randomized controlled trial, 55 parent-child dyads were assigned to Active and Healthy Families (AHF) or a usual care wait-list control condition. Dyads were eligible if they spoke Spanish and if the child received care in a federally qualified health center, was aged 5 to 12 years, had a BMI in the 85th percentile or higher, and had not participated in AHF. The 10-week AHF intervention included biweekly group sessions delivered by a registered dietitian, physician, and promotora triad. Sessions covered topics such as parenting, screen time, healthy beverages, physical activity, and stress due to immigration.ResultsChild BMI (kg/m2) decreased (−0.50) in the AHF group and increased (+0.32) in the control group, yielding an adjusted difference in change of −0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI] −1.28, −0.27). Children assigned to AHF also exhibited relative improvements over controls in BMI z score (−0.10; 95% CI −0.19, −0.02) and triglycerides (−26.8 mg/dL; 95% CI −50.1, −3.6), but no significant between-group differences were observed for blood pressure or other fasting blood measures.ConclusionsAHF resulted in reductions in child BMI, BMI z score, and triglycerides. AHF, which was designed for low-income Latino families, has potential to reduce health disparities, but future studies are needed to determine long-term impact.