Effects of a Faith-Based Obesity Intervention on African American and Latino Adults’ Children

Abstract

Background Faith-based interventions are promising for promoting healthy behaviors among adults, but their ripple effects on participants’ children are unknown. This study is one of the first to assess the effects of a faith-based multilevel obesity intervention on adult participants’ children. Methods We analyzed quantitative data from a cluster randomized controlled trial with two African American and two Latino churches in South Los Angeles, California, which invited adult participants to enroll one child (5-17 years) in a sub-study. At baseline and 6-7 months follow-up, parents completed a child health survey, which included the family nutrition and physical activity screening tool, and child height and weight were measured ( n = 50). Results Results from linear regression models showed children of intervention participants, compared to control, had significantly better dietary patterns at follow-up. Conclusions Findings suggest the health benefits of a faith-based multilevel obesity intervention for adults can extend to children and may help address obesity disparities.