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Abstract

In recent years, the number of Hispanic/Latino children living in poverty has exceeded the number of white or other minority children in poverty in the United States. Poverty can exacerbate parents� struggles to meet the nutritional needs of their children and minimize excess energy intake. To develop efficacious strategies to prevent childhood obesity and improve the diet of low-income Hispanic/Latino children, we must consider feedback both from parents in the target population and experts in health promotion. The purpose of this project was to develop a Healthy Eating Workbook highlighting the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Core Nutrition Messages on child feeding. The workbook repurposes existing health education materials and compiles Hispanic/Latino low-cost recipes. Feedback on the FNS messages and the Healthy Eating Workbook was collected via cognitive interviews with two low-income Hispanic/Latina mothers of preschool children. Feedback was also gathered from six experts in the field of health promotion in low-income populations. Although mothers reported different eating and child feeding habits, they both reacted positively to the workbook. Additionally, the experts predicted that the comprehensive nature of the workbook would successfully influence child feeding practices. Further, they suggested revisions that would enhance the clarity of the material and recommended strategies to use when developing a health promotion program based upon the Healthy Eating Workbook. Results from this study may be used for the future development of materials and programs to improve the dietary patterns and reduce the prevalence of obesity in Hispanic/Latino children and families.

Biography

Jennifer Valdivia is a second year PhD student in the Department of Population Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This work was completed while she obtained her bachelor of science in Biobehavioral Health and the Pennsylvania State University.

Email: jen.valdivia@gmail.com