A Tailored Web- and Text-Based Intervention to Increase Physical Activity for Latino Men: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial

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.