Addressing Hispanic Obesity Disparities Using a Community Health Worker Model Grounded in Motivational Interviewing

Authors: Louis D Brown, Denise Vasquez , Diane I Lopez, Erin M Portillo

In this study, authors investigated the efficacy of a CHW-based motivational interview in addressing obesity among Hispanic adults in El Paso, Texas, USA. More than 650 participants enrolled in the study, with approximately 50 percent assigned to the intervention group. In both study groups, a CHW collected baseline anthropometric data, such as body mass index and body fat percentage. In the intervention group, participants received a 30-minute motivational interview led by a CHW. At the 12-month assessment, researchers found that participants in the intervention group had more than 2 times the odds of losing weight compared to the control group. Additionally, participants in the intervention group had nearly 2.6 greater odds of decreasing their body fat percentage. Overall, this study demonstrates that a CHW-led intervention may be beneficial in reducing the prevalence of obesity among Hispanic populations.