# Reducing Maternal Stress to Improve Obesity-related Parenting Practices

> **NIH NIH K23** · AMERICAN UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $142,247

## Abstract

Project Summary
Maternal stress is associated with children’s risk for obesity controlling for socioeconomic status, yet standard
of care child obesity prevention programs have not focused on maternal stress reduction. The association
between maternal stress and child obesity is particularly strong in Latino families, whose children also have the
highest rates of obesity in the United States. A mindful parenting program might reduce Latina mothers’
psychological stress and lead to improved parenting practices and ability to create a healthier environment.
The primary objective of the proposed research is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an intervention
that integrates mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindful parenting in a population whose children are at
highest risk for obesity: Latina mothers. Phase 1 of the research involves developing and refining an integrative
intervention manual, titled ATIENDE (Awareness Training to Influence Eating, Nutrition, Decision-making, and
Exercise) and translating it into Spanish. Phase 2 involves conducting a randomized clinical trial comparing the
ATIENDE intervention to an active control condition in 50 Latina mothers of elementary-school age children.
Participant satisfaction rates and qualitative interviews will provide evidence of the program’s acceptability.
Feasibility will be determined by examining recruitment rates, retention rates, and treatment fidelity.
Completion of this project will inform the development of a full-scale efficacy trial. This Mentored Patient-
Oriented Research Career Development Award builds upon the candidate’s experience and interest in
conducting parent-focused obesity prevention research. The proposed research and training activities will
provide the candidate with essential skills in the areas of: (1) intervention development; (2) trial design and
conduct; and (3) advanced statistical methods. Training in these domains will prepare the candidate to be an
independent investigator in the development and evaluation of parent mindfulness interventions to improve
child obesity-related outcomes and reduce health disparities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10894035
- **Project number:** 5K23AT011049-05
- **Recipient organization:** AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Elizabeth Cotter
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $142,247
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10894035

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10894035, Reducing Maternal Stress to Improve Obesity-related Parenting Practices (5K23AT011049-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10894035. Licensed CC0.

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