Empowering Latino Children and Parents in Chicago's Lower West Side to adopt healthy lifestyles for the prevention of childhood obesity: A Community/Academic Partnership measures their progress

Background: In Chicago Public Schools, 55% of Latino 6^th graders are overweight or obese.   Por Su Salud: Estrellas de Salud (For Your Health: Health Stars) is a health education program designed to promote healthy lifestyles for obesity prevention among Latino children in Chicago’s Lower West Side.  A multi-agency partnership led by the Chicago Hispanic Health Coalition, with technical support from Johns Hopkins University and funding from the J&J Community Healthcare Program, was formed to deliver the intervention while developing community-based monitoring and evaluation capacity. 

Methods: Children participate in twelve sessions including nutrition education, physical activity, and parent-child lessons.  A conceptual framework was developed to support program effectiveness.  Staff received training in data management and analysis. 

Results: Piloting showed that children enjoyed the program and parental engagement is critical.  Forty-four children age 8-12 were enrolled in the 1^stimplementation phase.  At baseline, 52% of the children were overweight or obese, and 66% did not know dietary (63%) and exercise (45%) guidelines.  A third of children reported having an unhealthy drink (34%) or two or more unhealthy snacks (39%) the prior day.  Recruitment is ongoing; results from multiple rounds of the program will be reported.

Conclusions: This health promotion program for Latino children in Chicago is culturally appropriate and acceptable to the community.  Lessons from the pilot were used to make program adjustments to improve feasibility and impact; ongoing evaluation of this program can continue to improve its effectiveness.  The academic-community partnership supports community capacity to implement, evaluate, and disseminate evidence-based programs.