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

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Abstract

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. 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. 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. Findings from the current study support the efficacy of an Internet-delivered individually tailored intervention for maintenance of MVPA gains over time.

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Abbreviations

MVPA:

Moderate to vigorous physical activity

BMI:

Body mass index

7-Day PAR:

7-Day Physical Activity Recall interview

ACSM:

American College of Sports Medicine

BrAS:

Brief Acculturation Scale

STOFHLA:

Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Michael Getz and Illumina Interactive Learning, as well as Raul Fortunet, Karla Nuñez, Rachelle Edgar, Madison Noble, Daniah Tanori, David Bakal, Emily Berliant, and Dr. Veronica Villarreal at the University of California, San Diego for their valuable research assistance and contributions to this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, 3855 Health Sciences Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92093-0901, USA

    Sheri J. Hartman, Britta A. Larsen, Sarah Linke, Becky Marquez, Andrea S. Mendoza-Vasconez & Bess H. Marcus

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA

    Shira I. Dunsiger & Beth C. Bock

  3. Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Shira I. Dunsiger & Beth C. Bock

  4. Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health at University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Dori Pekmezi

  5. Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences and the Institute for Community Health Promotion, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Kim M. Gans

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  1. Sheri J. Hartman
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Correspondence to Sheri J. Hartman.

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Sheri J. Hartman, Shira I. Dunsiger, Beth C. Bock, Britta A. Larsen, Sarah Linke, Dori Pekmezi, Becky Marquez, Kim M. Gans, Andrea S. Mendoza-Vasconez, and Bess H. Marcus declares that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study. All study protocols and forms were approved by the institutional review board of the University of California, San Diego.

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Hartman, S.J., Dunsiger, S.I., Bock, B.C. et al. Physical activity maintenance among Spanish-speaking Latinas in a randomized controlled trial of an Internet-based intervention. J Behav Med 40, 392–402 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-016-9800-4

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