Feasibility and Preliminary Findings of a Church-Based Mother-Daughter Pilot Study Promoting Physical Activity Among Young Latinas

Physical activity (PA) rates in young Latina girls are low. This study examined acceptability and feasibility of implementing a mother-daughter intervention targeting individual and family-level correlates of PA. Eleven mother-daughter dyads participated in an 8-week intervention promoting PA in preadolescents. Preliminary data suggest increases in self-report PA, reductions in television watching, and improvements in parenting and mother-daughter communication. Focus group data suggest that participants benefited from receiving the intervention in a group format. Findings suggest that mother-daughter interventions promoting PA in young Latinas are feasible. Physical activity may improve family communication and mother-daughter relations.