Culturally Optimized Messages for Latinos

This project aims to redesign and optimize a deep-structure culturally-tailored healthy eating program and test its effectiveness in improving dietary outcomes, anthropometric, and blood pressure among 75 diverse Latinos, compared to surface-level messages. The WELCOME study will be based on the RE-AIM framework with improved reach, adoption, implementation, and maintenance strategies. The intervention arm is a deep-structure cultural tailored text messages for distinct Latino heritages (e.g., Caribbean and non-Caribbean) informed by mixed-methods formative research, compared to surface-level healthy eating messages based on the USDA My Plate Spanish version. The program runs for 6 months: 2-months delivery phase + 2-months reinforcement phase + 2-months maintenance phase.

Inclusion criteria

• age 25-65 y/o
• self-reported Hispanic/Latino heritage
• able to understand and answer questions in Spanish or English
• living in Massachusetts for the past year and not planning to move in the next year
• having a cellphone with the capacity of receiving and sending text messages and giving consent for the Study to text this number as part of the intervention

Exclusion criteria

• self-reported diagnosis of cancer, diabetes or major stomach or heart condition (e.g.: gastrointestinal cancers, coronary heart disease, previous stroke or heart attack, severe dietary allergies or restrictions)
• planning to move Massachusetts in the next year
• currently pregnant
• institutionalized (i.e.: hospital, prison, etc.).