274622 Vivamos Activos: A community-based lifestyle intervention to promote weight loss among Latino immigrants

Monday, October 29, 2012 : 9:30 AM - 9:50 AM

Lisa Rosas, PhD MPH , Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
Sreedevi Thiyagarajan, MS , Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
Jun Ma, MD, RD, PHD , Department of Health Services Research, Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA
Veronica Yank, MD , Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
Randall Stafford, MD PhD , Program on Prevention Outcomes and Practices, Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
     
Obesity affects approximately 40% of Latino adults in the United States. Low-income Latino immigrant communities appear to be particularly affected. While intensive lifestyle counseling has been shown to promote weight loss and prevent future obesity-related disease, there has been limited evaluation of such strategies among low-income Latino immigrants. The Vivamos Activos project is a randomized clinical trial aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of 2 culturally adapted interventions for promoting weight loss over 2 years: case-management and group lifestyle counseling alone (n=84) or in combination with home-based community health worker support (n=82) compared to usual primary care (n=41). Trained bilingual and bicultural health educators provided one-on-one case management and 15 group lifestyle counseling sessions. Community health worker support included home visits aimed at implementation in the participants' family and neighborhood environment. Eligible participants were obese, Spanish-speaking adults with at least one cardiovascular risk factor. Clinical evaluations occurred at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months to assess the primary outcome of change in body mass index (BMI) as well as secondary outcomes such as cardiovascular disease risk factors (i.e. blood pressure) and behavioral outcomes (i.e. physical activity). Participants were all foreign-born, primarily from Mexico (77%), with a mean length of US residence of 17+10 years. The majority of participants were female (77%) with less than a high-school education (76%) and an annual household income less than $20,000 (73%). We will report preliminary results of the effectiveness on BMI and secondary outcomes, which will be available after the final 24-month assessment is completed (9/12).

Learning Areas:
Chronic disease management and prevention
Diversity and culture
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. Explain the rationale for developing a tailored weight management program for low-income Latino immigrants 2. Discuss the two interventions tested in the Vivamos Activos Fair Oaks project: case-management and group lifestyle counseling alone or in combination with home-based community health worker support 3. Compare the effectiveness of the two intervention approaches that were tested in the Vivamos Activos Fair Oaks project on reducing Body Mass Index among low-income Latino immigrants.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the research director for the Vivamos Activos project and have participated in the implementation and analysis for this study.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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