Abstract
Public Health Problem: The obesity rates among African American youth in Sacramento County remain high because these youth face barriers in obtaining healthy food as well as protected recreational areas and culturally suitable health education.
Social Ecological Model and Causal Chain Analysis: This study uses the Social Ecological Model (SEM) to look at how food differences, economic problems, and marketing strategies contribute to obesity. The causal chain explains that systemic inequalities drive individuals toward poor lifestyle choices, which result in continuous disease development.
Intervention: This intervention builds its framework on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and consists of nutrition education along with peer-based initiatives and mobile farmers markets and new meal policies in schools. The objective seeks a 15% decrease in obesity levels before seven years expire. The program includes self-efficacy development activities that lead to environmental change, and it will offer nutrition workshops during month six and mobile markets during year three.
Implementation and Evaluation: The research design utilizes a quasi-experimental approach to analyze experimental and non-experimental schools. The project gathers information using three methods, which include BMI monitoring and meal surveys in addition to group discussions with youth participants and their family members and healthcare personnel. The evaluation of knowledge, access, and behavioral changes together with the measurement of process activities will be conducted.
Conclusion: The program includes culturally appropriate methods that emerge from community members to fight childhood obesity. The program shows potential to spread throughout other underserved communities by addressing individual behavior change and eliminating systemic obstacles.