Use of the Delphi Technique to Obtain Community Input on Leading Contributors to Early Childhood Obesity in Latino Communities

Introduction: In the United States, Latino children are disproportionately affected by childhood obesity and related comorbidities. Stakeholder engagement has the potential to heighten the efficacy of interventions, thereby reducing the disparate prevalence of obesity among Latino children. The objective of this study was to identify stakeholders’ opinions on factors influencing early childhood obesity in Latino children aged 0 to 5 years. Method: This study used the Delphi technique to gather and prioritize stakeholders’ opinions about the factors and barriers considered most influential in early (age 0-5 years) childhood obesity intervention or prevention within the Latino community. Three sequential phases were used. Participants included Latina women as well as staff from community organizations serving Denver metropolitan’s Latino population. Results: Study results revealed that stakeholders value the role of the child’s primary care provider in the identification of overweight children and desire more educational support to reduce intake of nonnutritious foods. Participants further determined that obesity-related knowledge gaps and affordability of healthy foods and activities were the largest barriers to helping Latino children maintain healthy weights. Conclusion: Use of this stakeholder-informed data could assist in the development of future culturally tailored interventions aimed at reducing the rates of early childhood obesity in the Latino population.