Physical activity maintenance among Spanish-speaking Latinas in a randomized controlled trial of an Internet-based intervention

Abstract

Background Spanish-speaking Latinas have some of the lowest rates of meeting physical activity guidelines in the U.S. and are at high risk for many related chronic diseases. The purpose of the current study was to examine the maintenance of a culturally and individually-tailored Internet-based physical activity intervention for Spanish-speaking Latinas. Methods Inactive Latinas (N = 205) were randomly assigned to a 6-month Tailored Physical Activity Internet Intervention or a Wellness Contact Control Internet Group, with a 6-month follow-up. Maintenance was measured by assessing group differences in minutes per week of self-reported and accelerometer measured moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at 12 months after baseline and changes in MVPA between the end of the active intervention (month 6) and the end of the study (month 12). Potential moderators of the intervention were also examined. Data were collected between 2011 and 2014, and were analyzed in 2015 at the University of California, San Diego. Results The Intervention Group engaged in significantly more minutes of MVPA per week than the Control Group at the end of the maintenance period for both self-reported (mean diff=30.68, SE=11.27, p=.007) and accelerometer measured (mean diff= 11.47, se=3.19, p=.01) MVPA. There were no significant between- or within-group changes in MVPA from month 6 to 12. Greater intervention effects were seen for those with lower BMI (BMI × intervention = −6.67, SE=2.88, p=.02) and lower perceived places to walk to in their neighborhood (access × intervention = −43.25, SE=19.07, p=.02), with a trend for less family support (social support × intervention=−3.49, SE=2.05, p=.08). Acculturation, health literacy, and physical activity related psychosocial variables were not significant moderators of the intervention effect during the maintenance period. Conclusions Findings from the current study support the efficacy of an Internet-delivered individually tailored intervention for maintenance of MVPA gains over time.

Web-Based Physical Activity Intervention for Latina Adolescents: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Potential Efficacy of the Niñas Saludables Study

“…A consumer satisfaction questionnaire used in our past trials [ 18 , 26 ] was adapted specifically to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the current intervention.…”

“…We previously developed and tested a Web-based MVPA intervention for Latina adults ( Pasos Hacia La Salud ), which effectively increased MVPA over 6 months [ 17 ] and maintained increases 6 months later [ 18 ]. This intervention was adapted for Latinas and grounded in Social Cognitive Theory and the Transtheoretical Model, and could thus be an appropriate intervention approach for Latina adolescents.…”

Psychometrics of the self-efficacy for physical activity scale among a Latina women sample

“…The main objective of this study was to assess the reliability, concurrent validity, and predictive validity of the SEPA scale among a sample of adult Latina women participating in Pasos Hacia la Salud, a 12-month culturally and linguistically adapted Internet-based PA intervention [ 32 , 33 ]. Additionally, given the paucity of studies assessing the validity of this and other self-efficacy scales against objective measures of PA, this study used both self-reported and accelerometer-measured moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for validation purposes.…”

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

“…[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. In the current study, we modified this web-based intervention based on formative research to ensure appropriateness for Latina adolescents and then tested the modified intervention in a 12-week single-arm demonstration trial.…”

“…These three measures have been used extensively in physical activity research. [21,22] A consumer satisfaction questionnaire used in our past trials [17,23] was adapted specifically to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the current intervention.…”