Father-led program shows lasting dietary improvements in Mexican-heritage families

Philadelphia, June 11, 2025 – A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, published by Elsevier, shows that a father-focused nutrition and physical activity program significantly improved long-term healthy dietary behaviors among Mexican-heritage fathers living in rural US communities. The 6-week program led to sustained increases in fruit and vegetable intake and healthy behaviors up to 2.5 years after completion.

The program, called ¡Haz Espacio para Papi! (Make Room for Daddy!), was delivered by promotoras (trained community health workers) in Texas border communities. It engaged 59 families with children aged 9–11 and included in-person group sessions, home-based activities, and interactive nutrition education. Fathers were assessed at baseline, after the program, 3–4 months later, and again 2.0–2.5 years later to measure dietary changes and behavior maintenance.

Results showed that participants increased their weekly fruit and vegetable consumption and improved overall dietary behavior scores over time. Fathers with lower education levels saw the greatest gains in vegetable intake, while older fathers tended to consume fewer vegetables than their younger peers.

Lead author of the study Annika Vahk, PhD, Eastern Washington University, Spokane, WA, said, “This study provides important evidence that culturally grounded programs centered on fathers can drive lasting dietary behavior change. Fathers play a vital role in modeling and supporting healthy behaviors in Latino families, and programs like HEPP can help activate that influence.”

The findings point to the importance of culturally relevant, family-centered interventions, particularly those that prioritize familism and build skills together as a unit. Future research should explore expanding the model to include a wider range of family structures and communities.