Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Incorporating an Increase in Plant-Based Food Choices into a model of Culturally Responsive Care for Obesity in Hispanic/Latino Adults and Children

Version 1 : Received: 15 October 2019 / Approved: 17 October 2019 / Online: 17 October 2019 (15:24:37 CEST)

How to cite: Singh, P.; Steinbach, J.; Nelson, A.; Shih, W.; D'Avila, M.; Castilla, S.; Jordan, M.; McCarthy, W.; Bautista, D.H.; Flores, H. Incorporating an Increase in Plant-Based Food Choices into a model of Culturally Responsive Care for Obesity in Hispanic/Latino Adults and Children. Preprints 2019, 2019100205. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201910.0205.v1 Singh, P.; Steinbach, J.; Nelson, A.; Shih, W.; D'Avila, M.; Castilla, S.; Jordan, M.; McCarthy, W.; Bautista, D.H.; Flores, H. Incorporating an Increase in Plant-Based Food Choices into a model of Culturally Responsive Care for Obesity in Hispanic/Latino Adults and Children. Preprints 2019, 2019100205. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201910.0205.v1

Abstract

The national rate of obesity in US Hispanic/Latinos exceeds all other major ethnic subgroups and represents an important health disparity. Plant-based diet interventions that emphasize whole plant foods with minimal processing and less refined grains and sugar have shown have shown great promise in control of obesity, but there is a paucity of data translating this treatment effect to disparity populations. The objective of our study was to evaluate the efficacy and scalability of the Healthy Eating Lifestyle Program (HELP) – a hospital-based, family centered, culturally tailored, plant-based diet intervention for Hispanic/Latino pediatric obesity patients and their families. Our evaluation methods included: 1) a quasi-experimental, one group, longitudinal study to measures changes in BMI at 0, 6, and 18 weeks of follow-up, and 2) A stakeholder analysis consisting of six key informant interviews of HELP program staff. We found a significant decrease in body mass index across all adults (-0.2 kg/m2 p=0.0047), that was much stronger in men. For children ages 5-12 years, there was also a significant decrease in BMI Z score from pre- to post- intervention (p=0.04). Program strengths were the cultural tailoring of the plant-based diet choices, and allowing a tiered approached that did not require adherence to strict vegetarianism. Our pilot study findings from HELP raise the possibility that incorporating plant-based diet choices into the treatment of pediatric obesity patients and their families can be an effective addition to a culturally responsive care model.

Keywords

diabetes; vegetarian; diet; nutrition; metabolic syndrome; disparity; child

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Dietetics and Nutrition

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