LAUSR

Objective Childhood obesity rates remain high specially for ethnic communities. The Padres Preparados, Jovenes Saludables (Prepared Parents, Healthy Youth— Padres for short) is a family-based intervention that aims to increase father involvement in positive parenting practices to address youth energy balance-related behaviors (EBRBs) (i.e. sugar sweetened beverage, fruit and vegetable, and breakfast consumption; physical activity and sedentary behavior). Participants are Latino immigrant fathers with an adolescent youth (10 to 14 years old). The in-person format however can limit the participation of some fathers. Use of Theory or Research This proposal describes the development of a mHealth Application (APP) to implement a blended (in-person and APP) delivery to address some barriers for participation by enabling fathers to access three sessions remotely. Padres is based on social cognitive theory, modeling reasoning and teaching, home availability and accessibility, and social support. Additionally, we followed principles of design thinking during the development of the APP. Target Audience Latino immigrant families (especially fathers) with adolescent children (10-14 years old). Program Description Padres is a culturally grounded, family-skills program for Latino immigrant families. The original in-person intervention includes eight sessions (2.5 hours each) focusing on improving diet and physical activity levels for children by strengthening parenting practices. The APP includes the content of three out of the eight original sessions: adolescent development, rules and expectations, and monitoring and supervision. Each of the three sessions follows an active learning steps including instructional videos, reflection, skills building and text follow-ups. Evaluation Methods A pilot study of the blended approach is underway and will be concluded in mid-March with intervention assessments and incudes a comparison among in-person and blended format delivery on parenting practices and both youth physical activity and dietary habits. Conclusions There are few mHealth programs designed for Latino families. This blended approach is an innovative way to flexibility for program participation among Latino families. Funding USDA.