SALSA: SAving Lives Staying Active to Promote Physical Activity and Healthy Eating

Physical inactivity, poor dietary habits, and obesity are vexing problems among minorities. SAving Lives, Staying Active (SALSA) was an 8-week randomized controlled crossover design, pilot study to promote regular physical activity (PA) and fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption as a means to preventing weight gain among women of color. Participants completed measures of demographics, PA, and dietary habits. Women (=50;=42 years) who participated were overweight (BMI=29.7 kg/m2; bodyfat=38.5%) and reported low levels of leisure time PA (=10.7 MET-min/wk) and FV consumption (=4.2 servings/day). All were randomized to a four-week (1) semiweekly Latin dance group or (2) internet-based dietary education group. All participants reported a significant increase in weekly leisure time PA from baseline (=10.7 MET-min/wk) to follow up (=34.0 MET-min/wk, <.001), and FV consumption increased over time by group (=.02). Data suggest that Latin dance interventions to improve PA and web-based interventions to improve dietary habits show promise for improving health among women of color