Family-Inclusive Lifestyle Intervention for Teenagers in Rural Colorado

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to reduce health disparities by offering a family-based lifestyle and stress management program called Health Without Barriers/Salud Sin Barreras to adolescents and their families living in rural Southwest Colorado. The program focuses on promoting healthy habits to prevent chronic conditions like Type 2 Diabetes and supports adolescent mental health through mindfulness and healthy weight management by involving physical activity, nutrition, and parent education. The intervention consists of 12 sessions delivered over 6 weeks. It includes family education and parent training, adolescent physical activity combining aerobic and resistance exercises through gameplay, mindfulness-based stress reduction training for teens, family meals, and cooking activities. The program was tailored based on community input and includes components such as the Learning 2 BREATHE mindfulness curriculum, Cooking Matters nutrition and cooking lessons, parent education on family support, nutrition, and physical activity, and activities for younger children in the family. Participants will attend sessions that include physical activity classes, mindfulness training, and family cooking or meal preparation. Researchers will collect feedback throughout the program to improve it iteratively and evaluate its effects on mental and physical health indicators such as emotion regulation, eating behavior, physical activity engagement and confidence, sleep, cardiometabolic health, blood pressure, body composition, glucose patterns, and activity and sleep monitoring. The study is planned to include up to 175 participants over 5 years, with assessments extending up to one year for some outcomes.

Health Without Barriers/Salud Sin Barreras