Healthy Mothers-Healthy Children: An Intervention With Hispanic Mothers and Their Young Children

Principal Investigators: Natalia Villegas Rodriguez, PhD, MSN, RN, IBCLC, FAAN
Funded by: National Institute for Nursing Research

While it is well documented that obesity contributes to cardiometabolic disease and other chronic illnesses, little has been done to find real-world approaches to reducing obesity that work best for Hispanic women and their children. Practical solutions to confront the health risks associated with obesity are urgently needed to decrease morbidity and mortality, and to reduce health care costs for a population that already faces devastating health inequities.

This 12-week community-based program for local Hispanic women and their 3-5-year-old children provides relatable nutrition and exercise education, ways to increase physical activity at home and training for developing healthy coping mechanisms to manage stress. This study could lead to an easy-to-replicate intervention that communities could implement within their Hispanic populations to help mothers maintain a healthy weight and change the trajectory for children at risk of becoming obese.