Abstract A35: Eat Healthy, Be Active Community Workshops for a rural Hispanic population
Authors: Briant Katherine J. , Sanchez Janet , Galvan Avigail , Gonzalez Virginia , Wu-Georges Samantha , Thompson Beti 
Published: March 2017

Background:

More than one-third of U.S. adults are obese. Obesity affects some groups more than others; 42.5% of Hispanic adults are obese, compared to 32.6% of non-Hispanic whites (NHW). In addition, an analysis of recent statistics shows significant increasing trends among women for overall obesity. National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey data shows that between 2007-2010, Mexican American women were 40% more likely to be overweight, as compared to NHW. Contributors to higher rates of obesity among Hispanics include higher rates of food insecurity, limited access to safe places for physical activity, and targeted marketing of unhealthy foods. With high obesity rates among Hispanics, increasing awareness and knowledge about healthier lifestyles has become an important component for many public health interventions. Promotores can play an important role in promoting culturally and linguistically appropriate health education for obesity prevention.

Eat Healthy, Be Active (EHBA) community workshops were developed based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines and the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. EHBA builds on these guidelines by providing detailed tips on how to put recommended nutrition and physical activity behaviors into action. A workshop series consist of six 1-hour interactive workshops and can be taught by promotores in a variety of community settings. The aim of this study was to empower and motivate Mexican American women residing in Eastern Washington State to eat healthier and engage in regular physical activity, thus, reducing their risk of developing chronic conditions in the future.

Methods:

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's Center for Community Health Promotion (CCHP) Community Health Educator trained promotores to conduct the workshops. Approximately six workshop series were held that included 49 participants. Participants were asked to complete a pre-test at the beginning and a post-test at the end of the six-week series. We examined changes in healthy lifestyle knowledge and practices from the beginning to the end of the sessions.

Results:

A total of 49 Hispanic women participated in the workshops. Preliminary results indicate that participants demonstrated an increase in healthy eating practices, including fruit and vegetable consumption as well as physical activity. Similarly, there was a decrease in unhealthy behaviors including the consumption of sugary drinks and frozen foods such as pizza and chicken nuggets. Participants also demonstrated increased knowledge regarding national recommendations for nutrition and physical activity.

Conclusion:

Given the increasing rates of obesity among Hispanics, increasing knowledge and awareness with an emphasis on prevention is needed. Further, focusing on females, who do the food shopping and food preparation in their homes, may help increase awareness among whole families. In this study we found that delivering EHBA workshops through promotores is a culturally relevant and effective way to educate and promote healthier lifestyle practices among Hispanic women.

Citation Format: Katherine J. Briant, Janet Sanchez, Avigail Galvan, Virginia Gonzalez, Samantha Wu-Georges, Beti Thompson. Eat Healthy, Be Active Community Workshops for a rural Hispanic population. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A35.