Reducing Maternal Stress to Improve Obesity-related Parenting Practices

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Project Summary Maternal stress is associated with children’s risk for obesity controlling for socioeconomic status, yet standard of care child obesity prevention programs have not focused on maternal stress reduction. The association between maternal stress and child obesity is particularly strong in Latino families, whose children also have the highest rates of obesity in the United States. A mindful parenting program might reduce Latina mothers’ psychological stress and lead to improved parenting practices and ability to create a healthier environment. The primary objective of the proposed research is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an intervention that integrates mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindful parenting in a population whose children are at highest risk for obesity: Latina mothers. Phase 1 of the research involves developing and refining an integrative intervention manual, titled ATIENDE (Awareness Training to Influence Eating, Nutrition, Decision-making, and Exercise) and translating it into Spanish. Phase 2 involves conducting a randomized clinical trial comparing the ATIENDE intervention to an active control condition in 50 Latina mothers of elementary-school age children. Participant satisfaction rates and qualitative interviews will provide evidence of the program’s acceptability. Feasibility will be determined by examining recruitment rates, retention rates, and treatment fidelity. Completion of this project will inform the development of a full-scale efficacy trial. This Mentored Patient- Oriented Research Career Development Award builds upon the candidate’s experience and interest in conducting parent-focused obesity prevention research. The proposed research and training activities will provide the candidate with essential skills in the areas of: (1) intervention development; (2) trial design and conduct; and (3) advanced statistical methods. Training in these domains will prepare the candidate to be an independent investigator in the development and evaluation of parent mindfulness interventions to improve child obesity-related outcomes and reduce health disparities.