“Me Dieron Vida”: The Effects of a Pilot Health Promotion Intervention to Reduce Cardiometabolic Risk and Improve Behavioral Health among Older Latinos with HIV

Abstract

There are significant gaps in knowledge about the synergistic and disparate burden of health disparities associated with cardiovascular health issues, poorer mental health outcomes, and suboptimal HIV-care management on the health of older Latinos living with HIV (OLLWH). This pilot study sought to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an innovative application of an already established health-promotion intervention—Happy Older Latinos are Active (HOLA)—among this marginalized population. Eighteen self-identified Latino men with an undetectable HIV viral load and documented risk of cardiometabolic disease participated in this study. Although the attrition rate of 22% was higher than expected, participants attended 77% of the sessions and almost 95% of the virtual walks. Participants reported high satisfaction with the intervention, as evident by self-report quantitative (CSQ-8; M = 31, SD = 1.5) and qualitative metrics. Participants appreciated bonding with the community health worker and their peers to reduce social isolation. Results indicate that the HOLA intervention is an innovative way of delivering a health promotion intervention adapted to meet the diverse needs and circumstances of OLLWH, is feasible and acceptable, and has the potential to have positive effects on the health of OLLWH.