Background: Latino persons with acquired brain injury (ABI) have higher rates of overweight and obesity, prediabetes, and diabetes compared to Non-Hispanic White persons. However, there is no evidence-based weight loss program that is culturally applicable and available in Spanish for Latino persons with ABI. Using community-based participatory approaches and the ADAPT process framework, we adapted the evidence-based, CDC-recognized Diabetes Prevention Program Group Lifestyle Balance for Traumatic Brain Injury (GLB-TBI) and Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA) to be culturally and linguistically relevant for Latino persons (GLB-ABI Latino).

Methods: We conducted multiple focus groups with community partners (n=17) to establish the need for adaptation, identify Latino-cultural barriers and facilitators to intervention implementation and uptake of the GLB-TBI/CVA, and identify specific adaptations to enhance adoption of the intervention among Latino persons. Community partners included former program participants, care partners, dietitians, coach interventionists, physicians, and external researchers and most identified as Latino/a (n=12). Internal researchers reviewed the curricula, incorporated feedback, and iteratively vetted adaptations with community partners.

Results: Community partners provided Latino cultural input for curricula adaptations and study conduct considerations. Themes to tailor the curricula included: including family throughout intervention delivery to improve diet and physical activity uptake, social cues typical within Latino households, budget-friendly Latino recipes, culturally-tailored instructional cooking sessions, basic needs intake assessments at the start of the program specific for food access, local resource lists for food access, and cultural competency/humility training for health coaches.

Discussion: Collaboration with our community partners provided invaluable insight into cultural and linguistically appropriate adaptations that best serve Latino persons. We will continue to work with community partners during the next phases of the project: translating the adapted curricula into Spanish and piloting the intervention with Latino persons (n=12 English-speaking, n=12 Spanish-speaking) to measure feasibility, weight loss and secondary outcomes (lipids, glucose, patient reported outcomes). After piloting, the curricula will be made publicly available as a tool to implement at scale at CDC-accredited sites nationally.