Hispanic and Latino populations are one of the populations most severely affected by obesity and also at higher risk for diabetes, a closely related disease. ¡Salud! Comiendo en Familia is a culturally sensitive, theory-based nutrition education intervention tailored to improve eating behavior in Hispanic and Latino families, particularly in those with young children. Consisting of six weekly sessions taught in Spanish, this program was developed based on the lessons learned from a previous study, Comiendo con Diabetes, and on the current model of nutrition education from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The program focuses on the information, tools, and environment necessary for participants to take action toward a healthier eating behavior. Skill-building activities, emotion-based messages, and goal-setting techniques are some of the key components of the sessions. Short-term outcomes include knowledge and skill development; medium-term outcomes include self-efficacy, outcomes expectancies, and healthy eating; and long-term outcomes include achieving or maintaining a healthy weight to decrease the risk for diabetes or achieve better control of blood glucose for those who have diabetes.
Research Team
- Karen Chapman-Novakofski, Ph.D., Professor, Food Science and Human Nutrition
- Sharon Donovan, Ph.D., Professor, Food Science and Human Nutrition
- Elvira de Mejia, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Food Science and Human Nutrition
- Margarita Teran-Garcia, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Food Science and Human Nutrition
- Lillian Karina Diaz Rios, Ph.D., Doctoral Candidate, Nutritional Sciences
Contact:
Karen Chapman-Novakofski
217-265-0925
kmc@illinois.edu
Funding
This project was funded by the Christopher Family Foundation Food and Family Program.