Culturally Optimized Messages for Latinos

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This project aims to redesign and optimize a deep-structure culturally-tailored healthy eating program and test its effectiveness in improving dietary outcomes, anthropometric, and blood pressure among 75 diverse Latinos, compared to surface-level messages.

Detailed Description
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This project aims to redesign and optimize a deep-structure culturally-tailored healthy eating program and test its effectiveness in improving dietary outcomes, anthropometric, and blood pressure among 75 diverse Latinos, compared to surface-level messages. The WELCOME study will be based on the RE-AIM framework with improved reach, adoption, implementation, and maintenance strategies. The intervention arm is a deep-structure cultural tailored text messages for distinct Latino heritages (e.g., Caribbean and non-Caribbean) informed by mixed-methods formative research, compared to surface-level healthy eating messages based on the USDA My Plate Spanish version. The program runs for 6 months: 2-months delivery phase + 2-months reinforcement phase + 2-months maintenance phase.

Official Title
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Wellness With Culturally Optimized Messages for Ethnic-diverse Latinos

Conditions
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Diet, Healthy, Diet Habit, Obesity, Blood Pressure, Psychological

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Culturally tailored healthy eating advice
* Behavioral: Standard healthy eating advice


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: age 25-65 y/o self-reported Hispanic/Latino heritage able to understand and answer questions in Spanish or English living in Massachusetts for the past year and not planning to move in the next year having a cellphone with the capacity of receiving and sending text messages and giving consent for the Study to text this number as part of the intervention Exclusion Criteria: self-reported diagnosis of cancer, diabetes or major stomach or heart condition (e.g.: gastrointestinal cancers, coronary heart disease, previous stroke or heart attack, severe dietary allergies or restrictions) planning to move Massachusetts in the next year currently pregnant institutionalized (i.e.: hospital, prison, etc.).

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 25 Years
Maximum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Triple


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Intervention<br>Intervention group consisting of culturally-tailored healthy eating advice through daily text messages for 2 months (delivery phase); a subsequent reinforcement phase of 2-months to repeat the text messages; and a subsequent maintenance phase of 2-months with no text messages. | Behavioral: Culturally tailored healthy eating advice<br>* Culturally-tailored education includes strategies for healthy eating, preferences for traditional healthy foods, recommendations for limiting unhealthy traditional foods, portion sizes, etc.<br>|
| Active Comparator: Control<br>Control group consisting of general healthy eating advice through daily text messages for 2 months (delivery phase); a subsequent reinforcement phase of 2-months to repeat the text messages; and a subsequent maintenance phase of 2-months with no text messages. | Behavioral: Standard healthy eating advice<br>* Standard healthy eating education includes strategies, foods, portions, and cooking and eating tips for general dietary recommendations from USDA My Plate<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Changes in diet quality score | Determine the change in score of short diet quality screener (range 18-54; from lowest to highest quality) | Month 4 | 
| Change in levels of adipose risk factor | Estimate the change in the value of waist circumference (cm) | Month 4 | 
| Change in levels of blood pressure risk factor | Estimate the change in the value of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | Month 4 | 
| Change in dietary habits | Determine the change in the score of dietary behaviors (range 1-5) | Month 4 | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Changes in diet satisfaction: diet satisfaction scale | Determine the change in the score of the Diet Satisfaction Questionnaire (DSat-45) (range 45-225; from lowest to highest satisfaction) and its summed seven subscales (ranges 5-40 | Month 4 |