Weight Health Among Hispanic Women in Albuquerque: A Preliminary Study to Evaluate the De las Mías App Prototype

Abstract

Our 3-year study tested a culturally tailored digital platform to improve weight health among Hispanic women. Phase I evaluated a prototype (n = 54). Phase II tested the De Las Mías app (n = 195). Both included Hispanic women with BMI 25 to 39. In Phase II weight was measured at 0-, 3-, and 6-months. A telephone interview was conducted at 9-months. Primary outcome was >5% weight loss at 6 months. Experimental participants were approximately 6 times more likely to experience >5% weight loss at 6 months. Greater benefit was observed for participants age 35 to 50. Among participants age 35 to 50, 29.4% of the experimental group, compared with 12.1% in the control group, had >5% weight loss at 6 months (p-value = .08); and 46.9% of the experimental group, compared with 27.3% of control group participants (p-value = .10), had a gain in self-efficacy in making changes in physical activity. Nine of 10 participants overall maintained some healthy changes at 9 months.