O20 Changes in Children's Nutritional Outcomes Post-Participation in a Pediatric Weight Management Program for Latino Families

Abstract

Background Research has found multidisciplinary weight management programs targeted to at-risk Latino children are successful at slowing weight gain and improving fruit/vegetable consumption. Research on the effects of other large-scale nutrition changes and dietary behaviors in this group are limited. Objective To determine whether participation in VALE (Vidas Activas y Familias Saludables), a pediatric weight management program for Latino families, with a child who is overweight/obese, results in changes in food groups and nutrients. Study Design, Setting, Participants Latino children participated in VALE, a group-based, culturally-adapted program focused on diet, exercise, and behavior modification. The current analysis included data from 4 cohorts who participated in the program between 2017 to 2019. Participants met approximately 90-minutes/week over a 10-week period. Eligibility criteria for participation included being Latino (self-reported) and having a child aged 5 to 9 years with BMI-for-age ≥85th percentile. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Food group and nutrient intake were measured pre- and immediately post-intervention by the Spanish-language version of the Block Food Screener for Ages 2-17. In addition, two 24-hour recall interviews in Spanish were conducted and entered into the Nutritionist Pro software (Axxya Systems) to determine macronutrient content. Mean intakes were measured for nutrition outcomes pre- and post-intervention and compared using Wilcoxon signed rank test, for non-normally distributed data, in SPSS (version 25). Results Participants (n = 48, mean age 7.6 ≥ 1.4) were primarily of Central American descent, 66% were male, and 47% in the severe obesity group. Compared with pre-intervention measurements, participants consumed 38% more vegetables and decreased added sugar consumption by 25% (P = .01). No significant findings were seen with other nutrient and food group results. Conclusion The VALE program, which specifically targeted Latino families, led to improvements in vegetable and added sugar consumption. Interestingly, fruit consumption was not significantly changed, as found in previous research. Funding George Mason University, Potomac Health Foundation.