Department of Health Services, University of Washington School of Public Health, Box 357230, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., M3-B232, Seattle, WA, 98166, USA.
BMC Womens Health. 2021 Jan 13;21(1):24. doi: 10.1186/s12905-020-01157-5.
In the U.S., obesity disproportionately affects some racial/ethnic groups more than others; 42.5% of Hispanic adults are obese, compared to 32.6% of non-Hispanic whites (NHW). Research also shows that Mexican American women are 40% more likely to be overweight, as compared to NHW women. With high obesity rates among Hispanics, improving healthier lifestyle practices is an important step for reducing health disparities. The Eat Healthy, Be Active (EHBA) community workshops were developed to assist individuals in translating national nutrition and physical activity recommendations into action. Promotora-led EHBA workshops could be used to promote obesity-related health behavior lifestyle changes among Hispanics.
Hispanic women from rural communities in Washington state were recruited to participate in a six-week Promotora-led workshop series. This pilot study used a pre- and post-test study design to examine differences in healthy lifestyle knowledge and practices.
A total of 49 Hispanic women participated in the workshops, of whom 45% were obese. Six-weeks after implementation of EHBA, women had improvements in healthy lifestyle practices, including an increase in nutrition label literacy, decrease in consumption of food eaten in restaurants, and an increase in the number of times a woman performed physical activity long enough to make them sweat.
The findings from this pilot study indicate that delivering EHBA workshops through promotoras is a feasible culturally relevant approach to promoting healthier lifestyle practices among Hispanic women. Further, focusing on females, who do the food shopping and preparation in their homes, may help increase awareness among whole families.
在美国，肥胖问题在某些种族/族裔群体中更为严重；42.5%的西班牙裔成年人肥胖，而非西班牙裔白人（NHW）的这一比例为 32.6%。研究还表明，与 NHW 女性相比，墨西哥裔美国女性超重的可能性高 40%。鉴于西班牙裔人群的肥胖率较高，改善更健康的生活方式实践是减少健康差异的重要步骤。“吃得健康，动起来”（EHBA）社区研讨会旨在帮助个人将国家营养和身体活动建议转化为行动。由 promotora 主导的 EHBA 研讨会可用于促进西班牙裔人群与肥胖相关的健康行为生活方式的改变。
从华盛顿州农村社区招募西班牙裔女性参加为期六周的 promotora 主导的研讨会系列。这项试点研究使用了前后测试研究设计，以检验健康生活方式知识和实践方面的差异。
共有 49 名西班牙裔女性参加了研讨会，其中 45%肥胖。EHBA 实施六周后，女性的健康生活方式实践有所改善，包括营养标签阅读能力提高、减少在餐馆食用的食物量以及增加女性进行足够长时间运动以出汗的次数。
这项试点研究的结果表明，通过 promotora 提供 EHBA 研讨会是一种可行的、具有文化相关性的方法，可以促进西班牙裔女性更健康的生活方式实践。此外，关注女性，她们是家庭中负责采购和准备食物的人，可能有助于提高整个家庭的意识。
