Puerto Rican Obesity Intervention for Men

Launched by MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN · May 31, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial, called the Puerto Rican Obesity Intervention for Men, is focusing on helping Puerto Rican men who are struggling with obesity. The main goal is to see if virtual classes that promote healthy eating and physical activity can help these men lose weight effectively. Participants will be divided into two groups: one will receive tailored classes specifically designed for Puerto Rican men, while the other group will get general health information. The researchers will track how well each group does in terms of weight loss and adopting healthier habits over a four-month period.

To join the study, you must be a Puerto Rican man over 35 years old with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher, meaning you are considered overweight. You should also be able to exercise, have access to a computer or tablet with reliable internet, and be comfortable speaking and understanding English and Spanish. During the trial, participants will meet virtually twice a week for the first three months and once a week in the fourth month, followed by monthly maintenance sessions for another four months. This is a great opportunity for eligible participants to achieve meaningful weight loss while receiving support from trained professionals in a culturally relevant setting.

Gender

MALE

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Male of Puerto Rican descent over 35 years.
• • BMI ≥25 by anthropometrically measured weight and height.
• • Physically able to exercise (via the EASY tool or, if needed, able to receive medical clearance to participate in the study).
• • Has access to secure computer or tablet in a private location with reliable internet connection to support video streaming
• • Ability to understand and speak English and Spanish.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Does not understand/speak English or Spanish.
• • Plans to move from the Illinois area during the study.
• • Currently in a formal weight management program.
• • Current or planned use of weight control or loss medication prescribed by a doctor.
• • Currently exercising \>1 time/week.
• • Unable to attend study times.
• • Serious medical problems or medications that would make protocol compliance difficult or dangerous, e.g., unable to engage in moderate \& eventually vigorous exercise, uncontrolled diabetes (A1C \> 9) or hypertension (systolic \>160 or diastolic \>100), hypoglycemia, heart attack in the past six months, unstable angina, life-threatening arrhythmias, cancer that required treatment in the last 5 years (except non-melanoma skin cancers that have been cured).
• • Current alcohol abuse (\>35 alcoholic drinks/week); score of yes to \> 2 questions on the CAGE alcohol scale.
• • Current recreational or illegal drug use.