Nutrition and Heart Health Measured Through Community Based Participatory Research in Girls in Mexico City Aged 13-24

Publication Date

Spring 4-16-2025

College

Gordon E. Inman College of Nursing

Department

Honors Program

Student Level

Undergraduate

SPARK Category

Research

Faculty Advisor

Carolyn Spellings

SPARK Session

Poster Secession 10:15-11:45

Presentation Type

Poster

Summary

The World Health Organization estimates that a third of the world, 3 billion people, do not have access to or the proper education on safe, nutritious food (WHO, 2023). The World Health Organization also found that the leading cause of death among people living in Mexico is ischemic heart disease, which causes one's heart to not get an adequate blood supply (WHO, 2024). From a young age, health education on nutrition and proper exercise habits can transform individual lives and communities by promoting inclusion, decreasing noncommunicable diseases, and aiding in a sustainable lifestyle (UNESCO, 2024). In Mexico, health education is not enforced in schools, contributing to the higher than regional average rate of obesity, “35.7% of adult women and 27.0% of adult men” (Global Nutrition Report, 2020). Dale Vuelta, a sports media company in Mexico City, promotes community well-being in young, school-aged girls by providing female soccer players with connections to football leagues, advocating for female inclusion in sports, and promoting community female sporting events. Although Dale Vuelta promotes health by encouraging physical play, the company would benefit from nutritional focused resources and heart health focused resources, to encourage a holistic approach to health education. Therefore, this study, which works in collaboration with Dale Vuelta, aims to identify the educational gap in nutrition and heart health among girls and women in Mexico City. In addition, the findings of this study were used to create an educational curriculum tailored to Dale Vuelta. Feedback from Dale Vuelta’s employees and participants informed the development of the curriculum at all phases. Utilizing Community Based Participatory Research methods such as interviews and surveys with the participating players of the Dale Vuelta media company, a holistic, educational program for healthy eating and heart health promotion was created explicitly aimed at the goal of long-lasting healthy habits for girls in Mexico City.

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