Predictors of Participant Attendance Patterns in a Family-Based Intervention for Overweight and Obese Hispanic Adolescents

Abstract

This study examined participant attendance patterns and individual (e.g., income), family dynamics (e.g., communication), and cultural (i.e., Americanism, Hispanicism) predictors of these patterns among Hispanic families enrolled in a 12-week family-based intervention, Familias Unidas for Health and Wellness. Hispanic adolescents (n = 140, 49% female, 13.04 ± 0.87 years old, 36% overweight, 64% obese, 39% immigrants) and their parents (87% female, 42.09 ± 6.30 years old, BMI 30.99 ± 6.14 kg/m2, 90% immigrants) were randomized to the intervention condition. A repeated measures latent class analysis that included 12 binary variables (yes/no) of attendance identified three subgroups of attendance patterns: consistently high, moderate and decreasing, and consistently low. An ANOVA was then conducted to examine whether the identified attendance patterns differed by individual, family dynamics, and cultural characteristics at baseline. Parents in the consistently high attendance group had lower Americanism than those in either of the other attendance groups. Adolescents in the consistently high attendance group had lower Hispanicism than those in either of the other attendance groups. No other variables significantly discriminated between attendance groups. Sustained attendance in the Familias Unidas for Health and Wellness intervention may be driven by Hispanic parents’ desire to better understand their host culture, connect with other culturally similar parents, and reconnect adolescents with their heritage culture.

Results of a Family-Based Intervention Promoting Healthy Weight Strategies in Overweight Hispanic Adolescents and Parents: An RCT

“…Regarding attendance, 71% of families attended all 12 group and family sessions, with 5% of families not attending any intervention session. 31…”

Understanding Barriers toward Interventions for Childhood Obesity in Minority Communities: A Rapid Review

“…Full length articles of all 28 studies were retrieved and only five met all inclusion criteria 27–31 . One report was a cluster randomized controlled trial 30 and the others were non-RCTs 27–29,31 . The non-RCTs included two retrospective cohort studies 27,28 , one cross-sectional study 29 and one pre-post study 31 .…”

“…Each of the investigations included at least one parent along with their child as participants. Three of the five interventions were family based 28,30,31 ,one was parent only 29 , and for one, the activities were primarily child focused but mothers completed the study questionnaire analyzed 27 . Among the reports investigating predictors of attrition 27,28,30,31 , three included both Black and Hispanic participants 27,28,31 , while one examined an intervention for only Hispanic families 30 .…”

“…Three of the five interventions were family based 28,30,31 ,one was parent only 29 , and for one, the activities were primarily child focused but mothers completed the study questionnaire analyzed 27 . Among the reports investigating predictors of attrition 27,28,30,31 , three included both Black and Hispanic participants 27,28,31 , while one examined an intervention for only Hispanic families 30 . For the investigation focused on Hispanic families, the participants represented immigrants from various Latin American countries (39%) and US born Hispanics (61%) 30 .…”

“…Among the reports investigating predictors of attrition 27,28,30,31 , three included both Black and Hispanic participants 27,28,31 , while one examined an intervention for only Hispanic families 30 . For the investigation focused on Hispanic families, the participants represented immigrants from various Latin American countries (39%) and US born Hispanics (61%) 30 .…”