Family-Level Factors That Influence Physical Activity among Hispanic Adolescents at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

Authors

• Sandra Mihail
• Ayleen A Hernandez
• Erica G Soltero

Language

English

Publication Date

8-1-2025

Journal

Ethnicity & Disease

DOI

10.18865/EthnDis-2024-21

PMID

40949623

PMCID

PMC12424134

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

8-22-2025

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Abstract

Objective: Family-based health promotion and disease prevention strategies are recommended as best practice; however, there is limited knowledge regarding the family-level factors that influence modifiable behavior risk factors like physical activity (PA) among Latinx adolescents. This study addressed this knowledge gap by using qualitative methods to identify perceptions of family-level factors that influence PA among Hispanic youth.

Methods: We conducted semistructured, open-ended interviews with 20 Latinx adolescents (14-16 years) with obesity (body mass index ≥95th percentile) to identify their perceptions of how family influences PA. Content analysis was used to identify emergent themes, which were then compared across demographic factors, other identified themes, and participant-identified personal values.

Results: Fourteen adolescents (70%) perceived family factors that facilitated PA. They described family support received as doing PA together, modeling PA, and providing motivational or financial support. Ten adolescents (50%) viewed family as a barrier, more often citing active barriers such as family responsibilities. Across demographics, youth with divorced parents and parents who reported more working hours (≥40 hours per week) perceived their family as less supportive of PA. Additionally, perceptions of family support shaped self-identified health values (eg, being healthy and fit).

Conclusions: Family-based obesity prevention strategies should leverage factors that facilitate PA and should be designed to consider factors that serve as barriers to PA among this age group and population. Given that there is little guidance on the development and implementation of family-based obesity-prevention strategies, findings from this study will inform the development of future family-based prevention opportunities among high-risk youth and families.

Keywords

Humans, Adolescent, Hispanic or Latino, Female, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Exercise, Male, Risk Factors, Qualitative Research, Family, Interviews as Topic, Social Support, Obesity, White, Latinx, Adolescents, Social support, Family-based interventions, Health disparities

Published Open-Access

yes

Recommended Citation

Sandra Mihail, Ayleen A Hernandez, and Erica G Soltero, "Family-Level Factors That Influence Physical Activity among Hispanic Adolescents at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes" (2025). Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications. 431.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/staff_pub/431