Computer-Based Physical Activity Advice for Ethnic Minority Aging Adults

Overview

Despite the recognized health benefits of a physically active lifestyle, mid-life and older low-income and ethnic minority adults, including Hispanic Americans, are among the least active and understudied groups in the U.S. This research aims to develop and evaluate a bi-lingual physical activity promotion program, applying easy to use state-of-the-art computer technology, which is tailored to the preferences and needs of mid-life and older Latino adults. Such computer-based programs represent a potentially low-cost means for reaching the large proportion of low-income and ethnic minority Americans who are under-active.

During Phase 1 of this study, the computer program will be adapted to better help Latino older adults to increase physical activity levels. Researchers will conduct focus groups and/or individual interviews to obtain participants feedback used to tailor the program to be appropriate for this population. During Phase 2, the computer-generated adviser program will be tested to see if it is effective in promoting an increase in physical activity (primarily walking) levels among Latino older adults. Participants will be randomly assigned to use the computer-generated adviser or to the wait list control group. Participants in the embodied conversational agent (computer-generated adviser) group receive an initial session with a staff health educator to review the expectations and content of this walking program. They will learn how to log onto the computer and interact with the computer adviser using a touch-screen. Participants will interact with the computer adviser at least 3 times per week to report past physical activity (primarily walking) completed, review obstacles (or barriers) to walking, and to set future walking goals. They are also asked to wear a pedometer. Participants assigned to the wait list will receive an initial session with a staff health educator to review the expectations and content of this program. They will attend a monthly interactive class-based group session lead by a health educator that will cover health-related topics relevant for the older adult such as nutrition, stress management, and brain health. At the end of their involvement with this group they can decide if they want to use the computer adviser program. Participants of both groups complete physical activity and computer-related questionnaires at the beginning (at 2 months) and at the end of the study (4 months).