Turn Off the TV and Dance! Participation in Culturally TailoredHealth Interventions: Implications for Obesity Prevention among Mexican AmericanGirls

摘要

Our evaluation study identifies facilitators and barriers to participation among families participating in the treatment arm of Stanford ECHALE. This culturally tailored obesity prevention trial consisted of a combined intervention with two main treatment components: 1) a folkloric dance program; and 2) a screen time reduction curriculum designed for 7–11 year old Latinas and their families. We conducted 83 interviews (40 parents and 43 girls) in participant homes after 6 months of enrollment in the ECHALE trial. The Spradley ethnographic method and NVivo 8.0 were used to code and analyze narrative data. Three domains emerged for understanding participation: 1) family cohesiveness; 2) perceived gains; and 3) culturally relevant program structure. Two domains emerged for non-participation: program requirements and perceived discomforts. Non-parametric, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the relationships with participant attendance data. Sustained participation was most strongly influenced by the domain perceived gains when parents reported better self-esteem, confidence, improved attitude, improved grades, etc. (Spearman r=.45, P=.003). Alternatively, under the domain, perceiveddiscomforts, with subthemes such as child bullying, participation in thecombined intervention was inversely associated with attendance (Spearmanr=.38, P=.02). Family-centered,school-based, community obesity prevention programs that focus on tangibleshort-term gains for girls may generate greater participation rates, enhancesocial capital, and promote community empowerment. These factors can beemphasized in future obesity prevention program design and implementation.(Ethn Dis. 2013; 23[4]:452–461)