Table 5.

Representative quotations from intervention participants regarding behavioral changes made in response to the program.

Theme 5a. Nutritional literacy and introduction of healthy foods

The changes made in my home were radical because in my house not a single day passed without us drinking soda. Every day, there was soda. In the morning, there was soda, with lunch, and even at dinner. So, during the time I have been coming here, I have learned that soda is terrible. It is terrible and so I cut it out. They no longer drink soda. (Session 1, Participant #6)

We see changes … when you open up the fridge, you don't have what you used to have; junk food or things that weren't even nutritious or helpful unless it was for weight gain and that's not the case anymore. Now, we've learned a lot of things. Now, we even check what it contains in the back. My daughters check. (Session 5, Participant #35)

I wouldn't drink water and now, I drink more water. I eat healthy. My children eat more vegetables. I learned how to make soup and use the blended vegetables. I give them to my children and we drink more water. (Session 5, Participant #39)

Theme 5b. Passing on healthy habits to children/community, with the future in mind

If you take them [to fast food places] constantly, that's your inheritance to them and then, when you want to make changes, it's not possible. When they get to a certain age when it's very difficult to make them change, they won't understand it until they're older and see the consequences this brings on, once they're sick, when they want to go back in time to say, "I shouldn't have--if I would have exercised, if I would have eaten healthier … " But, there's no going back in time. This needs to happen now and that way, they learn to eat healthier and say, “I can't eat that all the time.” (Session 5, Participant #35)

I have a sister in Puerto Rico. She's fourteen years old … She is obese and her doctor has told her that if she doesn't lose 16 lbs. she's going to have to get insulin injections and since I started the program … each time I would come here, I would pass on the recipes to her. “Cook soup like this,” or “Make rice this way,” “Eat this or that.” I would tell her about the class … now she's looking for the recipes because I would send her the pictures of the meals you cooked and she's eating more fruit and eating—she calls me to get ideas about what you would teach here in class and she has lost 8 lbs. (Session 5, Participant #38)

With my neighbor, she would see that I would do challenges each day, so she would ask me about—she would ask me, "Where are you going?" I would tell her that I had goals and that I had to meet them, so she asked me what they were about, and I explained it to her. So I told her about the program and that--well, her children are grown up, so she wanted to follow my footsteps. I taught her about they were teaching us here and she followed it. (Session 5, Participant #39)

Theme 5c. Engaged parenting and improved family dynamics

And to share more time as a family. At the mealtime I turn off the television, stop talking on the phone so that we can spend more time together, how was school, how was work. And that is thanks to the program, because before we had the TV on, the tablet on one side, phone talking on the other, eating we did not talk. We did not spend time together as a family. And the thing is that thanks to this we learned this: it is good to share as a family and not have the TV on. (Session 1, Participant #8)

They would say, "Oh, if you don't let me watch TV, I'm not going to eat." That is what they would tell me. So, little by little, I started showing them that the television and tablet aren't – aren't very good for – how can I explain this, like, for them – for them to concentrate, because when they're on the tablet, they don't eat and their bodies aren't strong, their minds are wandering. And so that was hard. But now they have understood a bit more that they need to spend time with their siblings and not with a screen. (Session 1, Participant #6)

Theme 5d. Mindfulness and holistic well-being

When I gave birth to my baby, one way I found take care of one child and the other and my two other older daughters and do housework was easily giving my daughter an ipad. So I realized the harm I was doing to her by being in front of an electronic device for so long, so I did eliminate that drastically. I don't know if it's very harmful, but I took it away from her and I think it has helped her more, because now, she grabs coloring books and she's more interested in writing and coloring and doing other activities than in being on the tablet. (Session 7, Participant #42)

Yes, for me it's walking. I walk every day. To be honest, the body asks for it. Last week, I got up late and I wouldn't come, but in the afternoon, I would think, “I have to walk. I need to walk or go out and play or something. (Session 7, Participant #41)

Theme 5e. Physical activity as a family

And with exercise, I have also improved with that, because I used to be very sedentary. I hardly ever went out for walks. I was always sitting and watching television and I am not like that anymore. That has really helped me a lot because since I am sick, I need – my body needs that exercise. And my family does not leave me alone, so they come out with me and – and we all enjoy the evenings together as a family. And we spend more time together as well. (Session 1, Participant #6)

For example, I did not do a lot of activity at home, so it was like, oh, I am tired, it is a routine. So, that helped me to set goals for myself and – and in turn my daughters would say, Mommy, we can do it. We are going all to go do it and say we achieved it. So, that helped me, motivated me practically. To try to at least get out of the house to go walking. (Session 1, Participant #8)