(provided by the investigator): The purpose of this study is to translate, implement, and evaluate the Academia da Cidade Program (ACP), an evidence-based, professionally supervised physical activity intervention conducted in Recife, Brazil, for use with Latino communities in North America. The translated program will involve group-based physical activity classes that are free or offered for a nominal charge ($1/person) to community members. Classes will be taught in urban recreation centers and parks by promotores who are trained as nationally-certified Group Fitness Instructors (GFI) as part of a newly-established Academia, a program of the San Diego Prevention Research Center (SDPRC) and the American Council of Exercise (ACE(R)). This overall purpose will be accomplished by four main research activities. Specifically, we will: (1) develop a Community Action Plan (CAP) to transadapt the ACP intervention for use with Latino adults;(2) conduct a scientific trial of its public health impact using a two-group staggered enrollment trial design;(3) evaluate the public health impact of the program using the RE-AIM framework to quantify its Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance;(4) evaluate the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of the program using a program logic model to identify inputs, activities, and outputs that contribute to successful program implementation and the building of community capacity to support long-term program maintenance;and (5) disseminate project findings to appropriate public health partners and relevant stakeholders.
The study has public health relevance because it could have a significant public health impact on obesity and chronic diseases related to physical inactivity, such as heart disease and diabetes. This study is also relevant because it addresses a known health disparity in obesity and chronic disease between Latinos and non- Hispanic whites. This study will also produce innovations in interventions because recreation centers and public parks are an important public resource whose contribution to physical activity promotion is unknown but has the potential to be significant.
| Elder, John P; Ayala, Guadalupe X; Arredondo, Elva M et al. (2013) Community health partnerships for chronic disease prevention among Latinos: the San Diego Prevention Research Center. J Prim Prev 34:17-29 |
