BACKGROUND: Internet access has grown markedly in Latinos during the past decade. However, there have been no Internet-based physical activity interventions designed for Latinos, despite large disparities in lifestyle-related conditions, such as obesity and diabetes, particularly in Latina women. The current study tested the efficacy of a 6-month culturally adapted, individually tailored, Spanish-language Internet-based physical activity intervention. METHODS: Inactive Latinas (n = 205) were randomly assigned to the tailored physical activity internet intervention or the wellness contact control internet group. Participants in both groups received emails on a tapered schedule over 6 months to alert them to new content on the website. The primary outcome was minutes/week of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at 6 months as measured by the 7-Day Physical Activity Recall; activity was also measured by accelerometers. Data were collected between 2011 and 2014 and analyzed in 2015 at the University of California, San Diego. RESULTS: Increases in minutes/week of MVPA were significantly greater in the intervention group compared to the control group (mean difference 50.00, SE 9.5, p < 0.01). Increases in objectively measured MVPA were also significantly larger in the intervention group (mean differences 31.0, SE 10.7, p < 0.01). The intervention group was also significantly more likely to meet national physical activity guidelines at 6 months (OR 3.12, 95% CI 1.46 to 6.66, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Findings from the current study suggest that this Internet-delivered individually tailored intervention successfully increased MVPA in Latinas compared to a wellness contact control internet group. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01834287.

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