Early Childhood Obesity Among Rural Residents of West Texas

Launched by TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER · Feb 13, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The Para Salud study is a research project aimed at helping young children in rural West Texas who are at risk of becoming overweight or obese. This study focuses on preschoolers aged 3 to 4 years and will implement various healthy habits like better nutrition, more physical activity, and even gardening. The goal is to see if these activities can help lower obesity-related concerns, such as body weight and fat levels, over two years. The study is especially important for Hispanic children, who often face more challenges related to obesity due to factors in their environment and lifestyle.

To participate in this study, children must be between 3 and 4 years old, live in certain counties in the Texas High Plains, and be enrolled in specific Head Start programs. Parents or guardians will need to give their permission for their child to join. Throughout the study, families can expect support in making healthier food choices and encouraging more active play, which can lead to better overall health for their children. This trial is not yet recruiting participants, but it represents an exciting opportunity to improve the health of young children in the community.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Enrolled in the participating HS programs,
• • Aged 3-4 years,
• • Live in a selected county in Texas High Plains (Crosby, Floyd, Garza, Hale, Hockley, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, and Terry County)
• • Without a diagnosed physical or mental disability according to enrollment records,
• • Parental consent
• • The inclusion criteria will be verified through children's enrollment records and the demographic information sheet. The parental/guardian participants will be the primary caregiver of each participating child, who lives in the same household of the child.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Health Status: Children with diagnosed physical or mental disabilities according to enrollment records.
• • Lack of Consent: Children without parental/guardian consent to participate in the study.