In the latest NCFR member news...

NCFR member Matthew Rodriguez, a Family Science student at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, recently co-presented his team research project, Padres Preparados, Jovenes Saludables (Prepared Parents, Healthy Youth), at the university's annual Do Good Challenge. This competition tasks students with creating solutions that address important social issues. Out of 100 applicants, it was named one of six finalists for the competition, and awarded third place.

Padres Preparados, Jóvenes Saludables is a culturally grounded, family-skills health app for Latino immigrant families with adolescents. This open-source app aims to combat obesity in children by improving fathers’ or male caregivers’ positive parenting practices. The app includes a wellness curriculum, a food resource library, bi-directional text messaging, video, audio, and evaluations.

The team conducted an initial research study with 25 Latino families in Minnesota and the DMV area, which garnered over 1,000 views of the app. The pilot study is currently underway and is a collaborative effort with the University of Maryland and University of Minnesota. The app is available for free download in the Google Play store and is also available free for download in iTunes by searching for "Padres Preparados". 

For winning third place, the team received $1,000 to use toward future development costs for version 2.0 of the app. NCFR member Ghaffar Ali Hurtado, Ph.D., assistant professor of Family Science, served as the primary investigator for the project.

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