Greater muscle area is associated with a lower risk of incident diabetes for older normal-weight women but not for men or overweight women.

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.

Latinas are the largest, fastest growing female ethnic minority group in the USA, and also report the lowest levels of physical activity. Following the framework of the social ecological model, this review examines unique social and environmental factors that influence physical activity in Latinas. Research shows that Latinas receive little social support for activity despite having large, close-knit social networks. Interventions incorporating social support components are generally effcacious. Latinas also face many environmental barriers, including crime, heat, traffic, lack of facilities and a fear of immigration enforcement, and there have been few attempts to address environmental barriers in Latino communities. Successful future interventions will need to consider unique social and environmental barriers affecting Latinas, and help Latinas learn to incorporate social networks into physical activity participation.

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 (p’s<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.

Purpose Physical activity is associated with decreased adiposity-related inflammation in adults. Whether this association is independent of central obesity is unknown but important for understanding the mechanisms associated with reducing cardiometabolic disease risk through physical activity. This study examined whether associations of physical activity and obesity-related inflammatory markers were independent of central adiposity. Methods Between 2002 and 2005, 1970 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis completed detailed health history and physical activity questionnaires, underwent physical measurements including computed tomography to quantify abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat, and measurements of adiponectin, leptin, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and resistin. Statistical analyses included analysis of covariance and multivariable-adjusted regression. Results The mean (range) age of participants was 64.7 (55-84) years and 50% were female. After adjustment for age and sex, and compared to the lowest quartile, inflammatory markers in the highest quartile of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were 16% higher for adiponectin and 30%, 26% and 9% lower for leptin, interleukin-6, and resistin, respectively (p<0.05 for all). In linear regression adjusted for demographics, dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, glomerular filtration rate, renin and aldosterone, each standard deviation increment of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was associated with significantly higher levels of adiponectin (β=0.04) and lower levels of leptin (β=−0.06), interleukin-6 (β=−0.08), and resistin (β=−0.05, p<0.05 for all). The associations with leptin, interleukin-6, and resistin were independent of total and central adiposity (p<0.05), whereas the association between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and adiponectin was attenuated by central adiposity (p>0.05). There were no significant interactions by race/ethnicity or sex. Conclusions Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was associated with a more favorable profile of inflammatory markers, independent of relevant cardiometabolic disease risk factors including central obesity.