Pasos Hacia La Salud: a randomized controlled trial of an internet-delivered physical activity intervention for Latinas

Abstract

BackgroundInternet access has grown markedly in Latinos during the past decade. However, there have been no Internet-based physical activity interventions designed for Latinos, despite large disparities in lifestyle-related conditions, such as obesity and diabetes, particularly in Latina women. The current study tested the efficacy of a 6-month culturally adapted, individually tailored, Spanish-language Internet-based physical activity intervention.MethodsInactive Latinas (N = 205) were randomly assigned to the Tailored Physical Activity Internet Intervention or the Wellness Contact Control Internet Group. Participants in both groups received emails on a tapered schedule over 6 months to alert them to new content on the website. The primary outcome was minutes/week of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at 6 months as measured by the 7-Day Physical Activity Recall; activity was also measured by accelerometers. Data were collected between 2011 and 2014 and analyzed in 2015 at the University of California, San Diego.ResultsIncreases in minutes/week of MVPA were significantly greater in the Intervention Group compared to the Control Group (mean difference = 50.00, SE = 9.5, p < 0.01). Increases in objectively measured MVPA were also significantly larger in the Intervention Group (mean differences = 31.0, SE = 10.7, p < .01). The Intervention Group was also significantly more likely to meet national physical activity guidelines at 6 months (OR = 3.12, 95 % CI 1.46–6.66, p < .05).ConclusionFindings from the current study suggest that this Internet-delivered individually tailored intervention successfully increased MVPA in Latinas compared to a Wellness Contact Control Internet Group.Trial registrationNCT01834287.

Web-Based Physical Activity Intervention for Latina Adolescents: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Potential Efficacy of the Ni�as Saludables Study (Preprint)

“…This could be an important feature of interventions, as previous literature suggests individuals who enjoy activity are more likely to increase and maintain their MVPA. These findings contrast with results from previous studies among adult Latina women, who have mostly increased walking as a result of similar interventions [30,35]. Our findings are thus encouraging and merit further research to understand the different results obtained among adolescent Latinas compared to adult Latinas, and whether engagement in activities other than walking may result in increased enjoyment and maintenance of MVPA.…”

“…Compliance with accelerometer wear was low compared to our previous studies. [16] Accelerometers may also have underestimated activity, as participants could not wear accelerometers during certain activities such as swimming or contact sports, and activities such as biking may have been inadequately captured by accelerometers. Given the high proportion of participants who reported engaging in these types of activities, accelerometry provided an incomplete measure of MVPA.…”

“…We previously developed and tested a web-based MVPA intervention for Latina adults, which effectively increased MVPA over six months [16] and maintained increases six months later. [17] This intervention was culturally adapted for Latinas and grounded in Social Cognitive Theory and the Transtheoretical Model, and thus supports an appropriate intervention approach for Latina adolescents.…”

A Web-Based Physical Activity Intervention for Spanish-Speaking Latinas: A Costs and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

“…Increases in minutes per week of at least moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity were significantly greater in the Internet intervention arm compared to the wellness contact control arm at 6 months [13] and were largely sustained at 12 months. However, to date there have been no cost or cost-effectiveness analyses conducted of such Internet-based physical activity interventions in Latinas.…”

A Latino Patient-Centered, Evidence-Based Approach to Diabetes Prevention

“…Emerging studies also find Latinos can effectively use technology tools to improve health behaviors such as physical activity. [42][43][44] In addition, current national data [45][46][47] show that Internet and mobile technology access and use for health are comparable, and sometimes even greater, among Latinos than NHWs, and continued penetration of technology is expected. Although a segment of the Latino population does not currently have access to the Internet and/or mobile technology, this should not be a barrier to developing the evidence base for health interventions using these technologies.…”