Abriendo Caminos (Opening Roads), aims to help Hispanic families lead healthier lives by weaving traditions and personal values into lessons on nutrition, physical activity, and family wellness.

“A saying promoted throughout the workshop series was ‘mas o menos.’ We can do a little more of this and a little less of that to live a healthier lifestyle,” says Kimberly Greder, a professor of human development and family studies at Iowa State University and a Human Sciences State Extension specialist.

Greder, coauthor of the paper in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, and colleagues, tested the efficacy of the Abriendo Caminos curriculum during 2017-2018.

The researchers say their findings add to a growing body of evidence that the program is an effective health intervention and should be scaled up.

Nearly 400 Hispanic families from Iowa, Illinois, California, and Texas participated in the randomized controlled trial between 2015 and 2019. Half were assigned to Abriendo Caminos; the other half (the control group) received handouts about nutrition and physical activity in Spanish but no in-person educational programming.

Using questionnaires available in Spanish and English, parents reported how often their kids (ages 6-18) consumed eight items each week: sugar-sweetened beverages; 100% fruit juice; fruit; French fries; vegetables (other than fried potatoes); fast food; sweets (candy, ice cream, cookies, cake); and salty snacks (chips, crackers, pretzels).

“While we found some dietary improvements with both groups, the changes in reduced frequency of sugar-sweetened beverages, French fries, and fast food and increased vegetable consumption were much larger for youth who participated in the educational intervention, Abriendo Caminos, compared to youth whose families just received the printed material,” Greder says.

Read the full article about culturally sensitive programs Rachel Cramer at Futurity.