SALSA: SAving Lives Staying Active to Promote Physical Activity and Healthy Eating

Abstract

Physical inactivity, poor dietary habits, and obesity are vexing problems among minorities. SAving Lives, Staying Active (SALSA) was an 8-week randomized controlled crossover design, pilot study to promote regular physical activity (PA) and fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption as a means to preventing weight gain among women of color. Participants completed measures of demographics, PA, and dietary habits. Women (𝑁=50;𝑀=42 years) who participated were overweight (𝑀BMI=29.7 kg/m2; 𝑀bodyfat=38.5%) and reported low levels of leisure time PA (𝑀=10.7 MET-min/wk) and FV consumption (𝑀=4.2 servings/day). All were randomized to a four-week (1) semiweekly Latin dance group or (2) internet-based dietary education group. All participants reported a significant increase in weekly leisure time PA from baseline (𝑀=10.7 MET-min/wk) to follow up (𝑀=34.0 MET-min/wk, 𝑃<.001), and FV consumption increased over time by group (𝑃=.02). Data suggest that Latin dance interventions to improve PA and web-based interventions to improve dietary habits show promise for improving health among women of color.