Peer-reviewed article
Intergenerational Mentoring on Health Promotion to Improve Healthy Lifestyles Among Latino Families
Kopera-Frye K, Graboski-Bauer A, Gonzalez-Marquez A ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001Project I'M HIP tested an intergenerational mentoring program with Latino families in New Mexico to promote healthy lifestyles. Three cohorts of 30 families (parent, child, and grandparent) attended monthly educational sessions on physical activity and healthy eating. The program improved nutrition and exercise knowledge significantly and increased exercise frequency, though body weight did not change. Children actively participated in teaching adults about healthy behaviors.
Key points
- 100% of parents shared at least one fact on nutrition or exercise with other relatives, extending program effects beyond direct participants
- Significant improvement in knowledge quiz scores (t 70 = 5.03, p < .0001)
- Significant increase in exercise frequency (t 72 = 2.106, p < .05)
- No significant change in body mass index from pre- to post-program
- Children demonstrated reciprocal mentoring by correcting parents on proper diet
Limitations
The study lacks a comparison group, making it unclear whether observed changes would have occurred without the intervention. Body weight outcomes were not improved despite increased exercise and nutrition knowledge, suggesting the program duration or intensity may have been insufficient for metabolic changes.
Abstract
Abstract New Mexico now has the 32nd highest adult obesity rate; approximately one-third are Latinos. Obesity rates in NM for children aged 2-11 years range from 11 – 14%. Mentoring as a health promotion or intervention strategy has become widespread. However, few programs have focused on several generations reciprocally influencing each other in healthy behaviors. Project I’M HIP (Intergenerational Mentoring Health Information Pathways)’s goals included: Providing an innovative, multigenerational educational program to promote greater maternal, child, and grandparent well-being, healthier lifestyle behaviors, and support continued healthy home environments by empowering the families with knowledge. Three cohorts of 30 families (1 parent, 1 child, 1 grandparent/other relative) were recruited for Program I’M HIP. This Program utilized culturally sensitive Evidence-Based Programs (EBPs). Monthly educational sessions focused on physical activity and adapting meals to be healthy. Project outcomes included exercise frequency, Body Mass Index (BMI), and a knowledge quiz assessing healthy meal facts, exercise knowledge via a 10-item quiz; all assessments pre- and post-program. Program outcomes included: 100% of the parents shared at least 1 fact on nutrition or exercise with other relatives, thus affecting another household; paired t-test analyses revealed significant changes in knowledge quiz total scores (t 70 = 5.03, p < .0001), increased exercise frequency (t 72 = 2.106, p < .05); no significant change in BMI from pre- to post-assessments; and children corrected their parents on proper diet; all demonstrating the reciprocal mentoring effects of parent, child, and other relative on health behaviors.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Intergenerational mentoring program (I'M HIP) delivering monthly culturally sensitive, evidence-based educational sessions on physical activity and healthy meal adaptation involving parents, children, and grandparents together
- Population
- Latino families in New Mexico: 90 families total (30 per cohort), each family including one parent, one child, and one grandparent or other relative
Key finding
Knowledge quiz scores improved significantly (t 70 = 5.03, p < .0001)
K et al. · PubMed Central (PMC) · 1 Jan 2020