Rationale and Methods for the Hombres Saludables trial: Increasing Physical Activity in Latino Men through Tailoring (Preprint)

UNSTRUCTURED Introduction: Latino men in the U.S. report low physical activity (PA) levels and related health conditions (e.g., diabetes, obesity). Engaging in regular PA can reduce the risk of chronic diseases and yield many health benefits; yet, there is a paucity of interventions developed exclusively for Latino men. To address the need for culturally relevant PA interventions, we developed Hombres Saludables, a 6-month Spanish-language, theory-based, tailored web and text message PA intervention for Latino men. This paper describes the study design, intervention, and evaluation methods for Hombres Saludables. Methods: Latino men ages 18-65 are randomized to either the individually-tailored PA internet intervention arm or the nutrition and wellness internet control arm. The PA intervention includes: 2 check-in phone calls, automated SMS text messages, a pedometer, a 6-month gym membership, access to a private Facebook group, and an interactive website with PA tracking, goal setting, and individually-tailored PA content. Outcomes: The primary outcome is minutes/week of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) assessed via ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer and 7-Day Physical Activity Recall at baseline and 6-months. Secondary outcomes will examine potential moderators (e.g., demographics, acculturation, and environmental variables) and mediators (e.g., self-efficacy, cognitive and behavioral processes of change) of treatment effects at 6-months post-randomization. Conclusions: Hombres Saludables uses an innovative, interactive web and text message-based intervention for improving PA among Latino men, an underserved population at risk of low PA and related chronic disease. If the intervention demonstrates feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy, we will refine and evaluate it in a larger randomized control trial.

Children's Anxiety and Physical Activity during COVID-19 in Relation to Prenatal Exposure to Gestational Diabetes

Research goal: Assess the relationships between anxiety levels, physical activity and in utero exposure to Gestational Diabetes mellitus (GDM) in children age 9 to 15, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: During the COVID-19 pandemic, participants completed phone call or video calls with study personnel where they were asked to report on their physical activity and anxiety levels using the 24-hour physical activity recall and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children. GDM-exposure was assessed using electronic medical records. Results: Children who reported higher levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity or vigorous physical activity, reported lower anxiety symptoms. Children exposed to GDM in utero reported higher anxiety scores and lower engagement in vigorous physical activity compared to unexposed children. Moreover, the pathway through which children exposed to GDM in utero, reported higher anxiety was partially explained by reduced engagement in vigorous physical activity (75%, p=0.05). Conclusions: Engaging in physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic may be beneficial for reducing anxiety, particularly among children exposed to GDM in utero, who are at increased risk for adverse psychological outcomes.

Exercise Intervention Outcomes with Cannabis Users and Nonusers Aged 60 and Older

Objectives: Cannabis use is increasing among older adults. We examined whether cannabis use impacted results of an intervention to increase physical activity in sedentary adults aged 60 and over. Methods: We measured differences in body mass index (BMI), exercise behavior, and cardiovascular fitness between older adult cannabis users (N = 28) and nonusers (N = 136) participating in an exercise intervention trial. Results: BMI of cannabis users was significantly lower than non-users (p = .007). Cannabis users reported .70 more days of exercise on the Stanford 7-Day Physical Activity Recall than non-users at the 8-week timepoint (p = .068) and were 4.1 points higher on the exercise subscale of the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors at 16-weeks (p = .045). Neither baseline nor post-intervention fitness differed by cannabis use status, and cardiovascular fitness improved after intervention in the full sample. Conclusion: These preliminary data suggest that current cannabis use status is not associated with a negative impact on fitness and efforts to increase exercise in sedentary older adults. Future studies should collect more detailed information on patterns and forms of cannabis use to understand their potential health effects for older adults.