Increasing Physical Activity in Latino Men
Condition: Physical Activity
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a web
      and text-messaged based intervention designed to increase physical activity among Latino men
      in Rhode Island. The study will also examine potential moderators of treatment effects
      including demographics, acculturation, and environmental variables such as the neighborhood
      built, social and economic environments.
    

Detailed description: 
      Physical Activity in Latino Men Through Tailoring is an individually randomized web and text
      message based pilot study, designed to increase physical activity amongst Latino men. The
      study is conducting formative research with a diverse population of Latino men to inform the
      adaptation of the Pasos Hacia La Salud web-based intervention, which was developed for Latina
      women, to an intervention focused on Latino men. Consideration will also be taken to ensure
      intervention material is culturally appropriate for Latino men of Caribbean, South and
      Central American origin. Half the study participants will be randomized into the intervention
      arm and half into the comparison group. Participants in the intervention arm will have access
      to a website where they can complete questionnaires, receive information, log their physical
      activity and set goals. Participants complete monthly questionnaires to establish their stage
      of change toward increasing their physical activity and receive information manuals based on
      their current stage of change. They will also have access to tip sheets via the study website
      and receive reoccurring text messages reminding them to log into the website. Participants in
      the comparison arm will have access to a similar website with information related to
      nutrition and overall wellness, not including physical activity.

      The primary aims of this project are (1) to conduct formative research with a diverse
      population of RI Latino men to adapt the existing web-based interventions and add text
      message-based components to complement and enhance the intervention. The second primary aim
      is to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the intervention
      and the study recruitment, implementation and evaluation protocols with a diverse population
      of Latino men. An additional exploratory aim will be to examine potential moderators of
      treatment effects including demographics, acculturation, and environmental variables such as
      the neighborhood built, social and economic environments. The hypothesis is that participants
      randomized to the intervention condition will have greater increases in weekly minutes of
      physical activity after six months than those randomized to a wellness control condition. The
      results of this pilot study will inform a future randomized controlled trial with Latino men
      to increase PA.
    

Intervention name(s): Physical Activity Intervention; Wellness Contact Control
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): After randomization into the intervention arm, participants will be instructed on how to use the Spanish language study website. During the six month intervention, they will complete online questionnaires to determine their stage of change towards increasing physical activity. A manual of information will be automatically generated based on their responses. Participants can read this information online, along with tip sheets related to increasing physical activity. On the website they can also set weekly goals and log their weekly PA. It will also include short videos with demonstrations for PA they can do at home and around their neighborhood. Information will also include community resources (community centers, public events, parks) where they can be physically active. Participants will also receive prompts and encouragement via text-message to encourage them to log into the website and continue to track their progress.; Participants in the control arm will attend the same baseline orientation sessions and measurements as the intervention arm. After randomization into the control group, participants will complete an introductory in-person session to introduce them to a website, similar in design, with information on health topics other than physical activity, including diet and other factors associated with CVD risk. It will include information from NHLBI heart health materials for Latinos. Topics include healthy eating, increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, reducing fat and salt intake, learning about cholesterol, stress management. Participants will log onto a separate website unique to the control group and complete monthly surveys on the wellness topics and their progress. Participants will also receive prompts and encouragement text-messages to encourage them to log onto the website.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Prevention