Acceptability of Phone Calls and Texts to Promote Healthy Behaviors Among Spanish-Speaking Hispanics

Abstract

Individualized short message service (SMS; i.e., text messages) and/or phone calls (PC) in Spanish were examined as an effective interventional approach to increasing daily fruits and vegetables (F&V) and physical activity (PA) among community-dwelling Spanish-speaking Hispanics. Participants were randomized to one of three ordered groups: Control (n = 25), SMS (n = 27), or SMS + PC (n = 26). PA and F&V intake were measured at baseline and 12 weeks later, when acceptability and usefulness were evaluated. Using the Cochran-Armitage test, we found an increasing trend in the proportion of vegetable intake (p = .03) and leisure time PA (p = .004) across the interventions. Most respondents from the SMS and SMS + PC groups approved the modalities and frequency of contact and reported following the advice provided. SMS + PC was the most effective intervention to improve PA and vegetable intake among respondents. These findings support feasibility and acceptability of using remote access platforms, specifically, text and phone-based health communication strategies, with Spanish-speaking participants.