Seamos Activas: Increasing Physical Activity Among Latinas

Inactivity

physical activity, Latinas

The overarching goal of this project is to develop a culturally congruent intervention to increase levels of physical activity among sedentary Latinas (i.e., Latina/Hispanic women). The first phase will involve culturally and linguistically modifying an existing evidenced-based intervention, founded on the Transtheoretical Model and Social Cognitive Theory, to target sedentary Latinas. Then, we will conduct a pilot randomized clinical trial to test whether the culturally-modified individually tailored intervention increases physical activity levels in comparison to standard care comprised of bilingual health education booklets.

While the general United States population is suffering from an epidemic of sedentary lifestyle, Latinos are even more sedentary than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. Notably, Latinos suffer from greater rates of morbidity and mortality of conditions associated with being sedentary than non-Hispanic whites. One concern is that due to cultural artifacts, socioeconomic circumstances, and language barriers, Latinos have limited access to public health interventions that promote active lifestyles. The current study will advance nursing science by using a theory-based computer-run expert system to provide an effective physical activity intervention for this underserved population. The consent form was completed by all participants and describes the nature and purpose of the study, procedure, risks and benefits to participating, alternative therapies available, and confidentiality.

United States