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Author(s): Sheri J. Hartman [sup.1] , Shira I. Dunsiger [sup.2] [sup.3] , Beth C. Bock [sup.2] [sup.3] , Britta A. Larsen [sup.1] , Sarah Linke [sup.1] , Dori Pekmezi [sup.4] [...], Spanish-speaking Latinas have some of the lowest rates of meeting physical activity guidelines in the U.S. and are at high risk for many related chronic diseases. The purpose of the current study was to examine the maintenance of a culturally and individually-tailored Internet-based physical activity intervention for Spanish-speaking Latinas. Inactive Latinas (N = 205) were randomly assigned to a 6-month Tailored Physical Activity Internet Intervention or a Wellness Contact Control Internet Group, with a 6-month follow-up. Maintenance was measured by assessing group differences in minutes per week of self-reported and accelerometer measured moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at 12 months after baseline and changes in MVPA between the end of the active intervention (month 6) and the end of the study (month 12). Potential moderators of the intervention were also examined. Data were collected between 2011 and 2014, and were analyzed in 2015 at the University of California, San Diego. The Intervention Group engaged in significantly more minutes of MVPA per week than the Control Group at the end of the maintenance period for both self-reported (mean diff. = 30.68, SE = 11.27, p = .007) and accelerometer measured (mean diff. = 11.47, SE = 3.19, p = .01) MVPA. There were no significant between- or within-group changes in MVPA from month 6 to 12. Greater intervention effects were seen for those with lower BMI (BMI x intervention = -6.67, SE = 2.88, p = .02) and lower perceived places to walk to in their neighborhood (access x intervention = -43.25, SE = 19.07, p = .02), with a trend for less family support (social support x intervention = -3.49, SE = 2.05, p = .08). Acculturation, health literacy, and physical activity related psychosocial variables were not significant moderators of the intervention effect during the maintenance period. Findings from the current study support the efficacy of an Internet-delivered individually tailored intervention for maintenance of MVPA gains over time.

Exercise during pregnancy has been associated with reduced risk of gestational diabetes mellitus, however, twice as many women are sedentary during pregnancy as compared to when they are not pregnant. We conducted 3 focus groups among 20 pregnant Latina and non-Latina white women to identify barriers and facilitators to exercise in pregnancy to inform a gestational diabetes mellitus intervention study. Quantitative analyses of demographic data, and qualitative analyses of focus groups were conducted. Women identified physical limitations and restrictions, lack of resources, energy, and time as powerful exercise barriers. Social support, access to resources, information, proper diet, scheduling, and the weather were identified as powerful facilitators. Intervention programs designed for pregnant women should facilitate social support, provide information and resources, as well as promote short-term and long-term benefits. KEYWORDS pregnancy, exercise, Latino/Hispanic DOI: 10.1080/03630240903427114

A study aims to examine the importance of particular theoretical constructs among participants who are randomly assigned to a physical activity intervention based on the Transtheoretical model and Social Cognitive theory or to a standard care group. The findings show that theory-based physical activity interventions might be effective through changes in particular theoretical constructs.

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2004.08.017 Byline: Beth C. Bock, Raymond S. Niaura, Charles J. Neighbors, Rosa Carmona-Barros, Munawar Azam Abstract: Adult smokers were recruited during routine health care visits at primary care clinics located in three urban hospitals and were given a brief intervention and nicotine replacement therapy. Analyses compared bicultural (BC: n=60) or less acculturated (LA: n=138) Latinos and non-Latino White (NL: n=417) participants. Both Latino groups were significantly different from NL subjects in smoking rate and nicotine dependence. However, BC and NL subjects differed significantly from LA subjects in perceived benefits of quitting, perceived risk from smoking, and negative affect smoking. LA subjects had higher cessation rates than either BC or NL groups. Regression analyses showed that nicotine dependence and confidence in quitting predicted cessation at month 6, and acculturation appeared to moderate the relationship between smoking cessation and both confidence in quitting and nicotine dependence. These results provide support for the viability of brief interventions for smoking provided through health care delivery systems. Results also suggest that characteristics previously shown to be predictive of successful cessation in mixed or non-Latino populations may not be equally predictive of cessation across members of diverse populations. Author Affiliation: Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, Brown University Medical School and St. Joseph Hospital, United States

A new study tests the theory that women smokers may be less satisfied with their body image than nonsmokers. Results suggest that smoking may negatively affect body image.

This study investigated the effect of reported eating behavior on person perception. Subjects (87% white, 4% African-American, 9% Asian; 60% female) were presented with brief descriptions of a fictitious male or female 'target' subject that included a food diary describing either a small, medium, or large breakfast and lunch. One-half the food diaries of male targets were calorically adjusted to compensate for the male target's larger physical size. Subjects recorded their impressions of the target on a number of physical and attitudinal characteristics. Targets were perceived as being less feminine and more masculine as meal size increased. Attractiveness ratings showed an interaction between meal size and gender. Female targets were judged to be more concerned with appearance and more attractive as meal size decreased. However, ratings of male targets on attractiveness variables were less affected by reported meal size in the standard diet condition, suggesting the existence of a double-standard for eating behaviors between men and women. However, male targets whose diets had been size-adjusted were rated in a pattern similar to ratings of female targets. These results expand on prior work demonstrating that meal size affects social judgements of both men and women. Further, these results suggest the presence of a cognitive schema in which the relative size of males and females is taken into account when making social judgements based on eating behavior. Work that does not take this schema into account is more likely to produce results suggesting a double-standard for eating behavior based on gender.

The simultaneous impact of factors hypothesized as mediators of the relationship between a motivationally tailored intervention for physical activity and six-month physical activity behavior in 239 adults is studied. Findings revealed that all mediation criteria were fulfilled by the two intervention arms. The different psychosocial variables of physical activity behavior change are discussed.

Adult smokers were recruited during routine health care visits at primary care clinics located in three urban hospitals and were given a brief intervention and nicotine replacement therapy to compare bicultural or less acculturated Latinos and non-Latino White participants. The results gave support for the viability of brief interventions for smoking provided through health care delivery systems.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is linked to problems in quitting smoking. The role of subsyndromal depression is not well researched. Pretreatment differences in smoking, weight concerns, and negative affect in three groups of women enrolling in a smoking cessation program, were examined. SubD subjects were more likely to report eating disordered behaviour compared to MDD subjects, and they initiated smoking earlier, reporting greater previous withdrawal symptoms, and higher anxiety and depression.

The acute and chronic effects of exercise on affect, cigarette craving and nicotine withdrawal symptoms, in women smokers were examined. The results show that vigorous aerobic exercise lessens negative affect, symptoms of nicotine withdrawal and craving for cigarettes. This indicates that vigorous exercise can be an effective adjunct to smoking cessation.

Predictors of weight control smoking among 281 sedentary women enrolled in a smoking cessation program were identified using the Smoking Situations Questionnaire. A number of variables were found to be independently associated with greater levels of smoking for weight control in the final predictor model. These include anticipation of post-cessation weight gain, dietary restraint, younger age, weight gain following previous quit attempts, higher Fagerstrom scores and lower self-efficacy for weight management in negative affect situations.