Adapting an Evidence-Based Infant Feeding and Nutrition Program to Promote Healthy Growth and Development in Latinx...

To describe the cultural adaptation of an evidence-based early childhood obesity prevention intervention for Latina mothers and nonmaternal caregivers in families of low income who speak diverse languages.

Participatory intervention adaptation methods were used to complete the first and second steps of the cultural adaptation process: (1) gathering information and (2) preliminary intervention adaptations.

Southern California, US.

Mothers of infants aged 4-6 months and their trusted caregivers (n = 46 mother-caregiver dyads) and members of an intervention workgroup (n = 8).

Healthy Beginnings Communicating Healthy Beginnings Advice by Telephone was adapted for Latina mothers and nonmaternal caregivers.

Mother and caregiver recommendations for intervention design.

We used qualitative approaches to analyze textual data for the cultural adaptation process. Notes and observations from the recorded intervention workgroup meetings were incorporated into the intervention design.

Content adaptations included cultural meanings of infant feeding, maternal mental health, and infant feeding practices. Intervention delivery changes included caregiver involvement, reduced in-home session time, increased session frequency, and intervention delivery by the community health workers.

Nonmaternal caregivers play an important role in intervention adaptation by ensuring that early childhood obesity prevention efforts are culturally and linguistically relevant.