Summary: Latino men in the
United States report low physical activity (PA) levels and related health
conditions (e.g., diabetes and obesity). Engaging in regular PA can reduce the
risk of chronic diseases and yield many health benefits; however, there is a
paucity of interventions developed exclusively for Latino men.
To address the need
for culturally relevant PA interventions, this study aims to develop and
evaluate Hombres Saludables, a six-month theory-based, tailored web- and text
message-based PA intervention in Spanish for Latino men. This protocol paper
describes the study design, intervention, and evaluation methods for Hombres
Saludables.
Latino men aged
18–65 years were randomized to either the individually tailored PA internet
intervention arm or the nutrition and wellness internet control arm. Secondary
outcomes examined potential moderators (e.g., demographics, acculturation, and
environmental variables) and mediators (e.g., self-efficacy and cognitive and
behavioral processes of change) of treatment effects at six months post
randomization.
Findings: This study was
funded in September 2016. Initial institutional review board approval was
received in February 2017, and focus groups and intervention development were
conducted from April 2017 to January 2018. Recruitment for the clinical trial
was carried out from February 2018 to July 2019. Baseline data collection was
carried out from February 2018 to October 2019, with a total of 43 participants
randomized. Follow-up data were collected through April 2020.
Authors developed and tested protocols for a highly accessible,
culturally and linguistically relevant, theory-driven PA intervention for
Latino men. Hombres Saludables used 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, authors will
refine and evaluate it in a larger randomized control trial.