Community-Based Participatory Research to Improve Health and Quality of Life of Latino Youth: Every Little Step Counts

With the increasing prevalence of obesity, the incidence of obesity-related co-morbidities
including depression and type 2 diabetes have emerged as critical public health conditions.
Furthermore, Latinos experience a disproportionately greater burden of these obesity-related
disorders. Therefore, we have developed a 12-week community-based lifestyle intervention that
includes weekly education sessions for children and their parents and 3 exercise sessions per
week for youth. The program will be delivered at a local YMCA in the greater Phoenix
Metropolitan area.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Hispanic Ethnicity (Child and Parent)

- Age 14-16 (Child) and Parent age < 85

- BMI Percentile above the 85th (child)

- Ability to read and speak English (child)

Exclusion Criteria:

- Taking medication(s) or diagnosed with a condition that could influence exercise
ability or carbohydrate metabolism (e.g., polycystic ovarian syndrome, exercise
induced asthma, orthopedic limitations) (Child and (Parent OGTT only))

- Involved in any formal weight-loss program in the past 6 months (Child)

- Diagnosed diabetes (type 1 or type 2 Child)

- Weight is less than 110 Ibs (Child and Parent)