Seamos Saludables - Physical Activity Intervention Study for Latinas

In the U.S., Latinos report higher rates of inactivity and related health conditions (e.g., hypertension,hypercholesteremia, obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes) than non-Hispanic whites. Furthermore, Latino women (Latinas) report higher rates of sedentary behavior than Latino men. Due to cultural factors, socioeconomic circumstances, differences in educational background, and language barriers, Latinos in general, and especially Latinas, have limited access to public health interventions that promote physically active lifestyles. To address this public health crisis, effective interventions that leverage state-of-the-art theory and methods are needed. The investigators research group has 20 years experience developing and evaluating individually tailored computer expert system-driven physical activity interventions (based on Social Cognitive Theory and the Transtheoretical Model). In the investigators recent pilot study (R21NR009864), the investigators culturally and linguistically adapted the existing tailored intervention for sedentary Latinas and conducted a small randomized trial of the modified program (N=94). Six month (post-intervention) assessments are still ongoing, but three month data have been collected on 87 participants (93% retention). Intervention participants increased their physical activity from a mean of 17 minutes per week (SD=25.8) at baseline to 92 minutes (SD=69.8) at three months, whereas contact control participants reported increasing their physical activity from 12 minutes per week (SD=21.8) at baseline to 64 minutes (SD=84.3) at three months. The trends in the means at 3 months lend preliminary support for the efficacy of the intervention and the high retention rates, especially for a study targeting a hard-to-reach group like Latinas, bode well for its feasibility and acceptability. For the current proposal, the investigators will build on these encouraging results by conducting an adequately powered (N=312) randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of the culturally and linguistically modified, individually tailored print intervention compared with a wellness contact control condition (e.g., cardiovascular health information from NHLBI in Spanish). Data will be collected at baseline, 6, and 12 months using well-established physical activity measures (7-Day PAR, Actigraphs), as well as a comprehensive set of psychosocial questionnaires. The investigators hypothesize that at the end of treatment, intervention participants will report significantly more minutes of at least moderate intensity physical activity per week than the wellness contact control participants. The investigators will also examine the maintenance of treatment effects at 12 months, costs of delivering the tailored intervention program, and potential mediators and moderators of the intervention-physical activity relationship. In the proposed study the investigators seek to promote physical activity among this at-risk population using a high-reach, low-cost strategy, which has great potential for adoption on a larger scale and thus high potential for reducing existing health disparities in the U.S.

Inclusion criteria

• Females
• Generally healthy
• Sedentary (Less than 60 minutes per week of mod or vigorous physical activity)
• Latina (self-defined)
• Must be able to read and write Spanish fluently
• 18 - 65 years of age
• Planning on living in the area for the next 12 months

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant
• BMI greater than 45
• Not able to walk continuously for 30 minutes/limited ability to complete daily activity or ability to exercise
• Exercise is against advice of doctor
• Heart disease/treatment
• Heart murmur
• Angina/chest pain or Angina/chest pain with exertion
• Palpitations
• Stroke/TIA
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Diabetes I or II
• Chronic Infectious Disease - HIV, Hepatitis
• Chronic liver disease
• Cystic fibrosis
• Abnormal EKG on last EKG performed
• Emphysema, Chronic bronchitis, COPD
• Seizure in past year
• Surgery in past year on heart, lung, joint, orthopedic surgery
• Surgery pending in next year on lung, joint, orthopedic surgery
• Unusual/concerning shortness of breath
• Asthma
• High blood pressure/high blood pressure medication
• Abnormal medical Stress Test
• musculoskeletal problems
• Fainting/dizziness more than 3 times in past year OR interferes with daily activities OR causes loss of balance
• Cancer treatment in past 3 months
• Hospitalized for psychiatric disorder in past 3 years or suicidal
• 3 or more alcoholic beverages 5 or more days per week