Becky Marquez

A culturally adapted physical activity intervention for Latinas: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND In the U.S., Latinos report particularly high levels of inactivity and related chronic illnesses and are in need of intervention. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to culturally and linguistically adapt an empirically supported, individually tailored physical activity print intervention for Latinos and then conduct an RCT of the modified program. DESIGN An RCT was conducted. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS The sample included 93 overweight/obese (80%) Latinas with low income and acculturation. INTERVENTION Data were collected in 2007-2008 and analyzed by intent-to-treat in 2009. Participants were randomly assigned to either (1) a culturally and linguistically adapted physical activity intervention (Seamos Activas) or (2) a wellness contact control condition. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Self-report physical activity, as measured pre- and post-intervention (6 months, 87% retention) by the 7-Day Physical Activity Recall. RESULTS Moderate-intensity (or greater) physical activity increased from an average of 16.56 minutes/week (SD=25.76) at baseline to 147.27 (SD=241.55) at 6 months in the intervention arm (n=45), and from 11.88 minutes/week (SD=21.99) to 96.79 (SD=118.49) in the wellness contact control arm (n=48). No between-group differences were seen in overall physical activity. Intervention participants reported significantly greater increases in cognitive (F[1, 91]=9.53, p=0.003) and behavioral processes of change (F[1, 91]=8.37, p=0.005) and available physical activity supplies and equipment at home (F[1, 91]=4.17, p=0.04) than control participants. CONCLUSIONS Results supported the hypothesized feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of individually tailored physical activity print interventions among Latinas. Although more research is needed to corroborate these findings, such high-reach, low-cost approaches have great potential to positively affect public health. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT00724165.

The Seamos Saludables study: A randomized controlled physical activity trial of Latinas.

BACKGROUND Latinas in the U.S. are less physically active than non-Latino white women and also report higher levels of diabetes, obesity, and other conditions related to inactivity. Interventions are needed to address disparities in this high-risk group. PURPOSE To evaluate the efficacy of a culturally adapted, Spanish-language, individually tailored, computer expert system-driven physical activity print-based intervention for adult Latinas. DESIGN RCT. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS Participants were 266 inactive adult Latinas who participated between 2009 and 2012. INTERVENTION Participants were randomized to one of two treatment arms: a 6-month tailored physical activity intervention condition or wellness contact control. For both conditions, print materials were delivered by mail. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The main outcome measure was change in weekly moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) measured by the 7-Day Physical Activity Recall interview, which was administered at baseline and post-intervention (6 months). Participants also wore accelerometers for a week at baseline and follow-up. Analyses were conducted in 2013. RESULTS Increases in minutes/week of MVPA measured by the 7-Day PAR were significantly greater in the intervention group compared to the control group (mean difference=41.36, SE=7.93, p<0.01). This difference was corroborated by accelerometer readings (rho=0.44, p<0.01). Further, results indicate that intervention participants had greater increases in self-efficacy, cognitive processes, and behavioral processes at 3 months compared to control paricipants (ps<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The tailored Spanish-language intervention was effective in increasing MVPA among predominantly low-income, less-acculturated Latinas. Such print-based interventions are poised for widespread dissemination, and thus may help address health disparities.

Rationale, design, and baseline findings from Seamos Saludables: A randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of a culturally and linguistically adapted, computer- tailored physical activity intervention for Latinas

BACKGROUND Latinos are now the largest (and fastest growing) ethnic minority group in the United States. Latinas report high rates of physical inactivity and suffer disproportionately from obesity, diabetes, and other conditions that are associated with sedentary lifestyles. Effective physical activity interventions are urgently needed to address these health disparities. METHOD/DESIGN An ongoing randomized controlled trial will test the efficacy of a home-based, individually tailored physical activity print intervention for Latinas (1R01NR011295). This program was culturally and linguistically adapted for the target population through extensive formative research (6 focus groups, 25 cognitive interviews, iterative translation process). This participant feedback was used to inform intervention development. Then, 268 sedentary Latinas were randomly assigned to receive either the Tailored Intervention or the Wellness Contact Control arm. The intervention, based on Social Cognitive Theory and the Transtheoretical Model, consists of six months of regular mailings of motivation-matched physical activity manuals and tip sheets and individually tailored feedback reports generated by a computer expert system, followed by a tapered dose of mailings during the second six months (maintenance phase). The main outcome is change in minutes/week of physical activity at six months and one year as measured by the 7-Day Physical Activity Recall (7-Day PAR). To validate these findings, accelerometer data will be collected at the same time points. DISCUSSION High reach, low cost, culturally relevant interventions to encourage physical activity among Latinas could help reduce health disparities and thus have a substantial positive impact on public health.

Social network characteristics associated with health promoting behaviors among Latinos.

OBJECTIVE This study examined the relationship between social network characteristics and health promoting behaviors (having a routine medical check-up, consuming no alcohol, consuming no fast food, and meeting recommendations for leisure-time physical activity and sleep duration) among Latinos to identify potential targets for behavioral interventions. METHOD Personal network characteristics and health behavior data were collected from a community sample of 393 adult Latinos (73% women) in San Diego County, California. Network characteristics consisted of size and composition. Network size was calculated by the number of alters listed on a name generator questionnaire eliciting people with whom respondents discussed personal issues. Network composition variables were the proportion of Latinos, Spanish-speakers, females, family, and friends listed in the name generator. Additional network composition variables included marital status and the number of adults or children in the household. RESULTS Network members were predominately Latinos (95%), Spanish-speakers (80%), females (64%), and family (55%). In multivariate logistic regression analyses, gender moderated the relationship between network composition, but not size, and a health behavior. Married women were more likely to have had a routine medical check-up than married men. For both men and women, having a larger network was associated with meeting the recommendation for leisure-time physical activity. CONCLUSION Few social network characteristics were significantly associated with health promoting behaviors, suggesting a need to examine other aspects of social relationships that may influence health behaviors.

The relationship of social support with treatment adherence and weight loss in Latinos with type 2 diabetes

Little is known about the effects of social support on weight loss in Latinos. This study determined whether sex moderated and treatment adherence mediated the association between social support and weight loss.

Twelve-month physical activity outcomes in Latinas in the Seamos Saludables trial.

BACKGROUND Physical activity interventions designed for Latinas have shown short-term behavior change, but longer-term change and maintenance is rarely measured. PURPOSE To assess physical activity change at 12 months, following 6-month tapered completion of an RCT of a physical activity intervention for Latinas. METHODS Two hundred sixty-six underactive (<60 minutes/week physical activity) Latinas were randomized to an individually tailored, culturally and linguistically adapted physical activity intervention, or a wellness contact control. Participants received the materials through the mail for 6 months, then received booster doses at 8, 10, and 12 months. Minutes per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity were measured by the 7-Day Physical Activity Recall interview at baseline and 6 and 12 months. Data were collected at Brown University between 2009 and 2013, and analyses were conducted in 2013. RESULTS At 12 months, increases in moderate to vigorous physical activity were significantly greater in the intervention than in the wellness group (mean difference=52 minutes/week, SE=9.38, p<0.01), with both groups showing slight increases in moderate to vigorous physical activity from 6 to 12 months. Intervention participants were also more likely to meet national moderate to vigorous physical activity guidelines (OR=3.14, p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS The intervention was more effective than the wellness control at 12 months, and physical activity increases from baseline to 6 months were maintained, suggesting the intervention may lead to sustainable behavior change. TRIAL REGISTRATION This study is registered at Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01583140.

Health Promotion in Latinos

This article provides a review of health promotion research conducted among Latinos. The authors examined 31 intervention studies promoting physical activity and/or healthy diet in Latino samples. Overall, findings suggested that Latinos are responsive to interventions promoting physical activity and healthy diet, despite facing numerous barriers to health promotion. In fact, 12 of the 21 studies that measured physical activity and 19 of the 26 studies that measured dietary behavior reported that the intervention produced significant improvements in those health behaviors. Design strengths of these studies included the high rates of retention and large number of randomized controlled trials. However, there were concerns regarding the lack of diversity in the samples (mostly Mexican American women), limiting the generalizability of the findings and the underutilization of objective measures of physical activity and diet behavior in intervention studies.

Using interactive Internet technology to promote physical activity in Latinas: Rationale, design, and baseline findings of Pasos Hacia La Salud

Internet-based interventions show promise as an effective channel for promoting physical activity. However, a paucity of research has been conducted among underserved groups despite recent increases in Internet access and physical activity-related health disparities in these communities. Thus, the current randomized controlled trial will test the efficacy of an individually tailored, Internet-based physical activity intervention for Latinas. This program was culturally and linguistically adapted for the target population through extensive formative research. Two hundred eighteen sedentary Latinas were randomly assigned to the Tailored Physical Activity Internet Intervention or the Wellness Contact Control Internet Group. The Physical Activity Internet Intervention, based on Social Cognitive Theory and the Transtheoretical Model, utilizes a website with features including self-monitoring, goal setting, discussion forum, links to online resources, individually tailored and motivation-matched physical activity feedback reports, and exercise tip sheets. Participants receive regular emails over the first 6months with a tapered dose during the second 6months (maintenance phase) to alert them to new content on the website. The main outcome is differences in minutes/week of moderate to vigorous physical activity at six months as measured by the 7-Day Physical Activity Recall and accelerometer data. High reach, low cost, culturally relevant Internet-based interventions that encourage physical activity among Latinas could help reduce health disparities and thus have a substantial positive impact on public health.

Feasibility of Enlisting Social Network Members to Promote Weight Loss among Latinas

Shaping network members into sources of support for healthy eating and exercise behaviors may be an effective strategy to enhance obesity treatment outcomes. This pilot study examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a behavioral weight loss intervention adapted for Latinas with a social network component. Twenty-seven Latinas (43.0±10.2 years and body mass index 36.9±5.7) participated in a 24-week randomized controlled intervention study. Participants attended group-based treatment either individually (Individual Lifestyle Group [ILG]) or with a weight loss partner selected from their existing network (Partner Lifestyle Group [PLG]). Repeated measures analysis of variance was conducted to compare ILG and PLG participants on changes in weight or psychosocial variables. Participants in both intervention groups attended 70% of treatment sessions; 96% and 100% completed assessment at post-treatment (12 weeks) and follow-up (24 weeks), respectively. Significant weight loss (P<0.01) was achieved at post-treatment (ILG -4.7±4.2 kg and PLG -4.3±4.4 kg) and follow-up (ILG -5.0±6.4 kg and PLG -4.7±5.0 kg), with nearly 50% of participants losing at least 5% of initial body weight. Both groups also experienced increased self-efficacy for weight loss (P<0.01), self-efficacy for exercise (P=0.02), and family social support for exercise habits (P=0.01). There were no significant differences between groups. Results from this study suggest a behavioral weight loss intervention for Latinas is feasible, but there is less support for the efficacy of weight loss partners.

Using web-based technology to promote physical activity in Latinas: Results of the Muévete Alabama pilot study

Latinas in the US report high levels of physical inactivity and are disproportionally burdened by related health conditions (eg, type 2 diabetes, obesity), highlighting the need for innovative strategies to reduce these disparities. A 1-month single-arm pretest-posttest design was utilized to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a culturally and linguistically adapted Internet-based physical activity intervention for Spanish-speaking Latinas. The intervention was based on the Social Cognitive Theory and the Transtheoretical Model. Changes in physical activity and related psychosocial variables were measured at baseline and the end of the 1-month intervention. The sample included 24 Latina adults (mean age, 35.17 ± 11.22 years). Most (83.3%) were born outside the continental US. Intent-to-treat analyses showed a significant increase (P = .001) in self-reported moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity from a median of 12.5 min/wk at baseline to 67.5 min/wk at the 1-month assessment. Participants reported significant increases in self-efficacy as well as cognitive and behavioral processes of change. Nearly half of the participants (45.8%) reported advancing at least one stage of change during the course of the 1-month intervention. Findings support the feasibility and acceptability of using interactive Internet-based technology to promote physical activity among Latinas in Alabama.