Radio Stories About Children's Healthy Eating and Exercise

Given the high rate of hypertension and obesity in minority and immigrant communities, implementing culturally and linguistically appropriate health promotion activities that improve families' diet and physical activity behaviors is imperative. "Radio Stories" is an education entertainment strategy that has significant potential as a health promotion tool. Through a CBPAR process, we aimed to create and test the effectiveness and acceptability of "SoLaHmo Radio Stories" about changing knowledge and behaviors to prevent or manage hypertension and obesity for Somali, Latino, and Hmong families with children.

Methods: SoLaHmo community researchers interviewed 7 families (3 Somali, 2 Latino, and 2 Hmong) who have successfully implemented lifestyle changes to prevent or manage hypertension or obesity, and then create 6 "radio stories" (2 per ethnic community) based on the families' experiences. To test the stories, we are conducting a two-arm trial that includes 146 participants (obesity: 68, hypertension: 78; 44 Hmong, 49 Latino, and 53 Somali participants). Effectiveness and acceptability of the program will be tested with pre-and post questionnaires.

Anticipated Results: Higher rates of satisfaction, increased knowledge, and increased intention to change healthful lifestyle behaviors in participants receiving the radio stories, as compared to control group participants, will indicate radio story program effectiveness and acceptability.

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria

for Key Family Informant Interviews:

• Family self-identifies as Somali, Latino or Hmong
• Family has at least one child between the ages of 3-18 years old
• English or Spanish or Somali or Hmong speaking
• Family identified as having a compelling story with hypertension or obesity

Inclusion criteria

for Intervention and Control Group Participants:

• Self-identified member of Somali, Latino or Hmong communities
• Adult age 18 years and older
• English or Spanish or Somali or Hmong-speaking
• Parent/caregiver is involved with raising children between the ages of 3-18 years

Exclusion criteria

for Key Family Informant Interviews:

• Family does not self-identify as Somali, Latino or Hmong
• Family does not have children between the ages of 3-18 years
• Not English or Spanish or Somali or Hmong speaking
• Parent/caregiver Is not involved with raising children between the ages of 3-18 years

Exclusion criteria

for Intervention and Control Group Participants:

• Participants do not self-identify as Somali, Latino or Hmong
• Participants are younger than 18 years
• Participants are not caregivers of children between the ages of 3-18 years
• Not English or Spanish or Somali or Hmong speaking