Obesity in the Rio Grande Valley: Applying an Evidence-Based Public Health Approach

Authors

• Erika Pineda-Horta, St. Mary's University

Files

Contributor

Ogu, Amarachi (Faculty Mentor)

Digital Publisher

Digital Commons at St. Mary's

Publication Date

Spring 2026

Keywords

Obesity, South Texas, Rio Grande Valley, Public Health, Hidalgo County

Description

What structural and social determinants drive elevated adult obesity rates in the Rio Grande Valley, and what evidence-based interventions can reduce adult obesity prevalence in Hidalgo County by 5% by 2030?

Objective: This study applies an EBPH framework to (1) characterize the burden and structural determinants of adult obesity in the RGV, and (2) propose a culturally responsive, evidence-based intervention targeting adults aged 18+ in Hidalgo County.

Adult obesity is clinically defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m² in adults aged 18 and older (CDC, 2022). It is a chronic, multifactorial non-communicable disease shaped by structural, social, and behavioral determinants.

Population: Adults 18+ in Hidalgo County, TX. Future research will extend to family- and childhood-focused interventions to interrupt the intergenerational cycle of obesity (see Conclusions).

Format

PDF

Size

1 poster

City

San Antonio, Texas

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.