A Pilot Study of the ¡Vivir Mi Vida! Lifestyle Intervention for Rural-Dwelling, Late-Midlife Latinos: Study Design and Protocol

Abstract

Older, rural-dwelling Latinos face multiple health disparities. We describe the protocol of a pilot study of a community health worker-occupational therapist-led lifestyle program, ¡Vivir Mi Vida! ( ¡VMV!), designed for delivery in primary care and adapted for late-midlife, Latino rural-living patients. Using mixed methods, we collected feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy data on ¡VMV!. Forty 50- to 64-year-old Latinos participated in a 16-week lifestyle intervention led by a community health worker-occupational therapist team. We conducted pre- and post-intervention assessments to evaluate the efficacy of ¡VMV! in improving psychosocial and clinical health outcomes. Focus groups and interviews were held post-intervention with participants and key stakeholders to assess feasibility and acceptability. This is the first trial designed to evaluate a lifestyle intervention that includes collaboration between occupational therapists and community health workers within primary care. The detailed description of methodology promotes research transparency and reproducibility of a community health worker-occupational therapist-led lifestyle intervention.

Keywords: Latino; community health worker; community-based research; lifestyle intervention; occupational therapy; rural.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that there is no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1

Core elements of the ¡Vivir Mi Vida! intervention content and process. aItems tracked for adherence and fidelity purposes using an electronic database shared by the interveners and research personnel bItems assessed for fidelity as implemented by the CHWs

Fig. 2

Sample session outline of a community health worker-led individualized visit.