Dissertation
¡Haz Espacio Para Papi! a father-focused program to promote healthy dietary behaviors in Mexican-heritage families: analysis of immediate and long-term program impacts on fathers and adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000004979
Abstract
As fathers spend more time co-parenting, they are potential leaders of healthy behavior change in their families. Culturally-tailored programs focused on Mexican-heritage fathers are needed to support individual- and family-level behavior change in this underserved population. In this dissertation, I evaluated the immediate and long-term program impacts of ¡Haz Espacio Para Papi! (Make Room for Daddy!; HEPP), which focused on Mexican-heritage fathers living in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Additionally, I explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on fathers’ food habits (e.g., ability to cook at home) and if changes in habits were associated with fathers’ dietary intakes and healthy dietary behaviors. A stepped-wedge randomized study design included five groups of fathers, who received the six-week intervention and participated as control comparisons at different times throughout the study. Thirty-seven fathers participated in weekly father-child and family sessions, which were composed of interactive, skill-building activities to promote healthy dietary change. Anthropometric measurements, Veggie Meter® (VM) scans, and surveys were administered by promotoras (trained, Spanish-speaking community health workers). There were no significant findings in fathers’ VM scores, intake of fruits and vegetables (FV), and healthy dietary behavior scores (HDBS) across time or between treatment and control comparison groups. However, for fathers who with lower education and those with more than five children living in their home, HDBS significantly increased between baseline and post-intervention, (p = 0.05, 95% CI [0.01, 1.91] and p = 0.05, 95% CI [0.01, 2.49], respectively). The COVID-19 data exploration revealed fathers who reported their diet improved, had higher intake of FV. Also, fathers who reported their ability to cook at home increased during COVID-19, had higher HDBS. Additionally, most fathers reported the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted their employment (60.6%) and income status (66.7%). Overall, Mexican-heritage fathers are eager and willing to participate in father-focused programs aimed at health promotion for the entire family. The HEPP program may be used as a guidance for future nutrition research in the Hispanic/Latino (HL) communities while also taking into consideration family-level program outcomes and the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on HL families.
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Details
- Title
- ¡Haz Espacio Para Papi! a father-focused program to promote healthy dietary behaviors in Mexican-heritage families
- Creators
- Annika Vahk
- Contributors
- Pablo Monsivais (Advisor)Joseph Sharkey (Committee Member)Cassandra Johnson (Committee Member)Martine Perrigue (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 188
- Identifiers
- 99901019232101842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation