Pozole, Patasca, and More: Lessons in Representation, Trust and Diversity from Hispanic Research Recruitment

Hispanic families in the U.S. remain underrepresented in health intervention research, despite facing disproportionately high rates of childhood obesity. The objective of this “Report from the Field” is to document the lessons learned from recruiting Hispanic parents for a formative research study on health-related parenting practices to lower the risk for childhood obesity. Guided by a community-engaged research approach, we partnered with a local nonprofit, El Puente Hispano, to build trust among the Hispanic population and facilitate recruitment. Semi-structured interviews with 17 parents from six nationalities revealed culturally diverse perspectives often overlooked when Hispanic populations are treated as a single group. Findings highlight the importance of culturally responsive and community-engaged research practices to support recruitment and collect truthful data to inform evidence-based interventions among Hispanic families.