Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Jun 18;15(12):2792.
doi: 10.3390/nu15122792.

Effectiveness of Theory-Based Physical Activity and Nutrition Interventions in Aging Latino Adults: A Scoping Review

Ana Maafs-Rodríguez  1 , Sara C Folta  1
Affiliations

Effectiveness of Theory-Based Physical Activity and Nutrition Interventions in Aging Latino Adults: A Scoping Review

Ana Maafs-Rodríguez et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

In the United States (US), Latino individuals older than 50 years face health disparities compared to their White counterparts. Considering the rising life expectancy and the projected increase of older Latino adults in the US, this scoping review aimed to determine the effectiveness of theory-based and culturally relevant strategies that promote healthy aging in Latinos. Web of Science and PubMed databases were searched between December 2022 and February 2023 for peer-reviewed articles assessing healthy aging interventions tailored to community-dwelling aging Latino adults. We included nine studies describing the effects of seven interventions on physical activity- or nutrition-related outcomes. Although not always statistically significant, interventions had a beneficial impact on well-being indicators. The most commonly used behavioral theories were Social Cognitive Theory and Attribution Theory. Latino cultural elements in these studies included partnering with community organizations that serve Latinos (such as Catholic churches), delivery of in-person bilingual group sessions by trusted community members (such as promotoras or Latino dance instructors), and incorporating values such as family and religion into the health curriculum, among others. Future strategies that promote healthy aging in Latino adults should proactively culturally adapt the theoretical foundations and the design, recruitment, and implementation processes to ensure their relevance and effectiveness.

Keywords: aging adults; cultural adaptation; healthy aging; interventions; latinos; theory-based.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of study selection process.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. World Health Organization . WHO Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition. World Health Organization; Geneva, Switzerland: 2020.
    1. World Health Organization Ageing and Health. 2022. [(accessed on 3 January 2023)]. Available online: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health.
    1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services . Administration on Aging 2020 Profile of Older Americans. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Washington, DC, USA: 2021. pp. 1–21.
    1. Watkins Bales C., Locher J.L., Saltzman E. In: Handbook of Clinical Nutrition and Aging. 3rd ed. Bendich A., editor. Humana Press; Totowa, NJ, USA: 2015.
    1. Roberts A.W., Ogunwole S.U., Blakeslee L., Rabe M.A. The Population 65 Years and Older in the United States: 2016. US Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, US Census Bureau; Suitland, MD, USA: 2018. American Community Survey Reports; ACS-38.

Publication types