(P24-068-23) Summer Weight Environmental Assessment Project (SWEAP): Caregiver Perceptions of Facilitators and Barriers to Healthy Eating and Active Living During Summer in NE Ohio

Objectives: Food insecurity and childhood obesity persist as public health crises, particularly during school breaks when there’s heightened risk. Hispanic families with children are at greater risk for food insecurity and poor health over the summer, however, this group and their environmental conditions have been understudied. Science indicates that child diet quality worsens during periods of extended breaks, though data are mixed about changes in physical activity. This exploratory study was conducted in Hispanic neighborhoods in NE Ohio to examine caregivers’ perceptions of environmental barriers and facilitators to healthy eating and active living during the summer.

Methods: Caregivers of school-aged children (K-6) in low-income neighborhoods were recruited via neighborhood canvasing, community partnering and community event tabling. Participants completed a demographic survey (age, sex, race, ethnicity, food insecurity) and engaged in a modified HEALth MAPPS™ (Healthy Eating Active Living: Mapping Assets using Participatory Photographic Surveys) protocol which included: 1) orientation; 2) photographing and geotagging facilitators and barriers to HEALth; and 3) in-depth interview (IDI) discussing images and routes taken. IDIs were recorded virtually or in person and transcribed verbatim. Line-by-line open coding was employed by researchers (n=2) who used comparative analysis to develop a codebook and identify major themes.

Results: Twelve caregivers enrolled. Mean age was 35.08±2.86 years, 100% identified as female, 41.67% Hispanic, and 33% of households reported low food security. Four identified themes were barriers and facilitators to healthy eating and barriers and facilitators to active living with 19 sub-themes. Barriers to HEALth were food availability, lack of neighborhood safety and unmanaged infrastructures. Facilitators to HEALth themes were community resources, support for healthy eating and access to recreation equipment.

Conclusions: Findings provide researchers initial insights into caregivers of school-aged children’s perceptions of their food and physical activity environments during the summer within low-income, predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods in NE Ohio. This data can inform future targeted interventions.

Funding Sources: Baldwin Wallace University Research and Presentation Grants