Children playing in a community garden, symbolizing health and fighting childhood obesity.

Breaking the Cycle: How Community-Based Programs Can Combat Childhood Obesity in Hispanic Communities

Soraya Malik in Health & Wellness August 2025 • 4 min read.

"A multi-level approach in rural areas shows promising results for long-term health."

Childhood obesity is a growing concern in the United States, with significant long-term health consequences like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Hispanic children are disproportionately affected, particularly those in rural communities where resources are often limited. This disparity highlights the urgent need for effective intervention strategies that address the unique challenges faced by these populations.

Traditional approaches to tackling childhood obesity often fall short due to their limited scope. A more effective strategy involves multi-level interventions that address the various factors influencing a child's environment, including family, school, and community. These programs aim to create a supportive ecosystem that encourages healthy eating habits and regular physical activity.

One such initiative, Together We STRIDE (Strategizing Together Relevant Interventions for Diet and Exercise), is a community-based program in rural Washington State designed to combat childhood obesity among Hispanic children. By engaging community members and implementing interventions at multiple levels, Together We STRIDE offers a promising model for promoting healthier lifestyles and reducing BMI in this vulnerable population.

Together We STRIDE: A Multi-Faceted Approach to Combating Childhood Obesity

Children playing in a community garden, symbolizing health and fighting childhood obesity.

The Together We STRIDE program is a quasi-experimental trial that aims to recruit 900 children aged 8-12 years from two communities in Washington State – one serving as the intervention group and the other as a comparison. This design allows researchers to assess the effectiveness of the multi-level intervention in a real-world setting.

The program's strength lies in its comprehensive approach, targeting multiple levels of influence in a child's life:

Individual Level: Comic books designed to educate children about healthy eating and physical activity through engaging storytelling.
Family Level: Multi-generational nutrition and physical activity classes to empower families with the knowledge and skills to make healthier choices together.
School Level: Teacher-led physical activity breaks and media literacy education to promote healthy habits within the school environment.
Community Level: Family nights, farmers' markets, and community physical activity events (Ciclovia) to create a supportive community environment that encourages healthy lifestyles.

Children in the comparison community receive two newsletters with general health information. Height and weight measurements are collected from children in both communities at baseline, 6 months, and 18 months to assess the program's impact on BMI z-scores.

Why Together We STRIDE Matters

Together We STRIDE represents a significant step forward in addressing childhood obesity among Hispanic children in rural communities. By utilizing a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, the program ensures that interventions are culturally relevant and sustainable. The program's multi-level design acknowledges the complex interplay of factors that contribute to childhood obesity and offers a comprehensive solution that empowers children, families, and communities to embrace healthier lifestyles. The study's findings have the potential to inform policy decisions and best practices in schools and communities across the nation, ultimately contributing to a healthier future for all children.

About this Article -

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This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1016/j.cct.2018.02.013, Alternate LINK

Title: Together We Stride: A Quasi-Experimental Trial Testing The Effectiveness Of A Multi-Level Obesity Intervention For Hispanic Children In Rural Communities

Subject: Pharmacology (medical)

Journal: Contemporary Clinical Trials

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Authors: Linda K. Ko, Eileen Rillamas-Sun, Sonia Bishop, Oralia Cisneros, Sarah Holte, Beti Thompson

Published: 2018-04-01

Everything You Need To Know

Why are Hispanic children in rural communities more vulnerable to childhood obesity?

Hispanic children in rural communities face disproportionately high rates of childhood obesity due to limited access to resources and various socio-economic factors. Traditional approaches to tackling this issue often fall short, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive intervention strategies like Together We STRIDE that address the unique challenges faced by these populations. The program emphasizes a multi-level approach that addresses influences at the individual, family, school and community levels. Together We STRIDE is using comic books, classes, physical activity events and more to address the issue.

What makes the Together We STRIDE program different from other childhood obesity interventions?

Together We STRIDE is unique because of its multi-level, community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach. It targets multiple levels of influence—individual, family, school, and community—to create a supportive ecosystem for healthy living. This differs from traditional, single-faceted approaches that often overlook the complex interplay of factors contributing to childhood obesity. By actively involving the community, Together We STRIDE ensures that interventions are culturally relevant, sustainable, and effectively address the specific needs of Hispanic children in rural Washington.

How does Together We STRIDE address the issue of childhood obesity at the family level?

At the family level, Together We STRIDE offers multi-generational nutrition and physical activity classes. These classes aim to empower families with the knowledge and skills necessary to make healthier choices together. By engaging multiple generations, the program fosters a supportive environment within the family unit, reinforcing healthy habits and promoting long-term lifestyle changes. This also increases the likelyhood of sustainable changes.

What role do schools play in the Together We STRIDE program to combat childhood obesity?

Schools are an integral part of the Together We STRIDE program. Within the school environment, the program implements teacher-led physical activity breaks to increase children's daily activity levels. Additionally, it incorporates media literacy education to help children critically evaluate messages about food and health, empowering them to make informed decisions. This combined approach fosters healthy habits and promotes a supportive school environment that reinforces the program's overall goals.

What are the potential long-term implications of programs like Together We STRIDE for addressing childhood obesity in Hispanic communities?

Programs like Together We STRIDE have significant long-term implications for addressing childhood obesity in Hispanic communities. By utilizing a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, the program ensures that interventions are culturally relevant and sustainable. Successfully reducing BMI and promoting healthier lifestyles can decrease the risk of long-term health consequences like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, leading to healthier, more productive lives. Moreover, the program's findings can inform policy decisions and best practices in schools and communities nationwide, potentially scaling its impact to benefit other vulnerable populations facing similar challenges. The quasi-experimental trial component of Together We STRIDE, allows for researchers to assess the effectiveness in a real-world setting.