Research shows that cultural aspects may contribute to obesity among Latinos; however, the role of fathers in the family's health habits is largely unexplored. "Padres Activos" (PA) is an experientially-based behavioral intervention designed to address this gap by targeting Latino fathers and their children around issues of food…

SuperFIT aims to improve the dietary and physical activity behaviour of children (2-4 years) in the Dutch childcare and home setting. Healthy parenting practices, policies, and availability of materials, fruits, and vegetables were promoted over the course of a year. This pilot study, with a quasi-experimental design, examined the effectiveness of…

Background: Federal nutrition education initiatives ("MyPlate") intend to facilitate healthful eating behaviors in families; however, little is known about how minoritized students and caregivers perceive adherence to MyPlate guidelines or perceptions of importance of eating in alignment with guidelines. Purpose: Study aims included: 1)…

Trained lay volunteers may have value in supporting lifestyle change programs in the prevention of type 2 diabetes, but the potential health benefits (or harms) experienced by these lay volunteers have not been well described. This is important, as this is an appealing model in terms of workforce planning. The aim of the prespecified quantitative…

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), a cluster of cardiometabolic abnormalities including elevated waist circumference, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and elevated fasting glucose, affects nearly 35% of American adults. The presence of MetS both predicts and contributes to the development of…

This study explores the importance of holistic health practices based on evidence from various studies ranging from stress and burnout prevention from holistic practices to administrative support in an educational setting. Through researching these studies, new questions arose as to whether a limit exists to the preventative measures that may be…

Background: Understanding the relationship between the perceived body weight, body mass index (BMI), and weight management-related behaviors is critical to preventing obesity in young adults. Purpose: To explore the relationship between perceived body weight and weight management-related behaviors and to assess the mediating effects of BMI between…

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes prevention represents a critical need for the health education curriculum, given the rise of the disease and its precondition for today's youth. An active understanding of diabetes encourages young people to take control of the nutritional and exercise factors that keep the…

The Recipe 4 Success preventive intervention targeted multiple factors critical to the health and well-being of toddlers living in poverty. This randomized controlled trial, which was embedded within Early Head Start home visits for 12 weeks, included 242 racially and ethnically diverse families (51% girls; toddler mean age = 2.58 years; data…

Through a community-focused needs assessment conducted in rural Appalachia, we gauged perceptions of facilitators and barriers related to healthful eating and physical activity for young children and identified suggestions for improvement. Thirty-seven key informant interviews and three caregiver focus group sessions were coded and analyzed for…

This study aimed to understand the behaviors of older adults in rural areas at all stages of active aging after participating in senior self-directed learning groups. This study adopted a qualitative research method and conducted one-on-one semi-structured interviews with six members of a senior learning center in a rural area. The themes…

A family-skills program for Latino fathers and youth was implemented to prevent youth obesity. Lessons learned focused on practices to address barriers to engagement and retention among fathers and youth within the Latino community. Program development issues included selection of organizations, facilitators, language, and delivery methods.…

Background: The impact of the National Diabetes Prevention Program (N-DPP) for Latinos "post-program" participation is uncertain. Purpose: We examine the experiences of Latinos who participated in the N-DPP in continuing the dietary and physical activity changes learned in the program. Methods: This is a qualitative descriptive interview…

In the United States, childhood obesity continues to increase at unprecedented rates. School-based occupational therapists can play a more significant role in health promotion and obesity prevention efforts in the school setting. Since this is a relatively new role for occupational therapists, there is still a tremendous gap in the literature…

Preventive lifestyle interventions are needed to address challenges in engaging men in conventional health programmes. This process evaluation examined the feasibility and acceptability of HAT TRICK, a gender-sensitized programme targeting physical activity, healthy eating and social connectedness. A mixed-methods approach was utilized to examine…