Camine Con Nosotros: Connecting Theory and Practice for Promoting Physical Activity among Hispanic Women

Abstract

Despite the popularity and widespread use of theory in health education, practitioners still find it difficult to design and implement theory-based interventions. This is especially true when working with ethnic/racial minority groups, including Hispanic groups. Practitioners working with Hispanic communities face additional barriers that may often discourage them from using theories when planning interventions. These barriers include the diversity that exists within the Hispanic population, lack of reliable data, and issues related to cross-cultural applicability of current behavior theories. However, the use of theory constitutes a valuable tool for developing more effective programs, and theorist researchers should be more sensitive to practitioners’ needs. By explaining the processes for selecting and applying theory in the same detail as outcome results, researchers will contribute to increasing practitioners’ interest in theory. This article describes Camine con Nosotros, a theory-based physical activity program for Hispanic women, and explains the process of selecting the theoretical framework of the program and connecting theory and practice.