Review of intervention studies promoting physical activity in Hispanic women

Abstract

The objectives of this review are to (a) provide a comprehensive review and evaluation of intervention studies designed to promote physical activity among Hispanic women and (b) provide recommendations for future research involving Hispanic women in physical activity intervention research. Computer and manual searches have been conducted of articles in the English-language literature from 1980 to present. Twelve articles are evaluated that emphasize physical activity interventions in Hispanic women. A review of current intervention research provides a starting point for determining salient approaches for intervention and evaluation, issues related to program implementation, and the strengths and limits of existing approaches. During the past 30 years, very few interventions have been conducted that examine physical activity among Hispanic women; those that include Hispanic women across ages support the need for interventions that build on the strengths and address the limitations of this body of research.