Impact of Lifestyle Intervention using Family Central

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2021

Authors

Banh, Debini
Lopez, Aimee
Robinson, Christina

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Abstract

Chronic diseases due to preventative causes are becoming increasingly prevalent among Americans. The Pediatric Mobile Clinic provides free medical care and vaccines to uninsured children in underserved areas of Fort Worth. These underserved populations have health concerns that demonstrate the need for lifestyle medicine interventions that can promote healthful eating, physical activity, sleep, and other healthy behaviors in order to help prevent chronic disease while also improving the wellbeing of the family. Participants were placed into three groups that initially met once a month to discuss a Family Central topic (i.e Nutrition, Physical Activity, Tobacco Avoidance, Sleep, Stress Management, and Social Connection). Sessions were converted to a virtual platform due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants engaged in discussion on the topic of the week and created SMART goals. A general linear mixed-effects model was used to examine the impact of lifestyle intervention including health lifestyle education classes on participants' knowledge, attitude, and behaviors, and clinical outcomes. Due to the small sample size and the incomplete survey responses, the results were non-parametric. However, the survey responses showed that the Family Central sessions were highly effective in all participants in increasing awareness of good health behaviors and improving health status. The Family Central program is both important and necessary for improving the health behaviors of the community. With proper education and improved health behaviors, we will see reduced likelihood of chronic disease. We hope to see a positive impact as caregivers model the health behaviors for their children.

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