Research Project

PODER: Promoting Obesity prevention among children with Developmental disabilities and families through Engaged Research

The purpose of this project is to examine the health of Latine caregivers and children/adolescents with developmental disabilities, and develop and test an intervention for Latine families to promote health lifestyles.

Start Date: 2019-11-01
End Date: 2025-10-31
Research Area(s): Active Projects; Autism; Children, Youth and Families; Cultural Competency; Disability; Health Promotion; Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; Obesity and Diabetes; Youth and Families
Funding Source: Administration for Community Living, NIDILRR, HHS

Abstract

Site Principal Investigators: Yolanda Suarez Balcazar and Mansha Mirza

Evidence indicates that there are racial and ethnic disparities among children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and obesity. However, there is extremely limited research on health and obesity among Latino children with IDD. This is surprising given the large representation of Latino children in the US population, and the documented rates of obesity among these children and adolescents. We will address this gap in research by conducting three groundbreaking studies to examine health, obesity, and health behaviors among children and adolescents with IDD and their maternal caregivers, and develop and test an intervention for Latino children and adolescents with IDD and their families to promote healthy lifestyles. The three studies include:

1) Examining factors that contribute to poor health and obesity among Latino children and adolescents with IDD and how they compare to non-Latino white children using the National Survey of Children’s Health.

2) Collecting and analyzing important baseline information among Latino Children and adolescents with IDD and their families through a two site cross-sectional study including rigorous data on physical activity, nutrition, height, weight and waist circumference, family environmental factors and cultural practices. Our goals will be to identify the social determinants of obesity, and to establish baseline data for an intervention study.

3) Combining and testing the integration of two pilot-tested interventions, one designed for Latino caregivers of children with IDD and the other designed for Latino children and youth with IDD and their families. This comprehensive family intervention will include home visits to family caregivers by promotoras de salud, family-based group activities that demonstrate physical activity, healthy food preparation, and opportunities for social learning in a culturally tailored way. We will first conduct a one-group pretest-posttest design pilot study, conduct focus groups to determine acceptability, and then conduct a small, randomized trial with a waitlist control group across two sites.

The above studies have important implications for promoting culturally tailored practice with Latino children with intellectual and developmental disabilities experiencing obesity.

https://sites.utexas.edu/poder/