Arriba por la Vida Estudio: a randomized controlled trial promoting standing behavior to reduce sitting time among postmenopausal Latinas

Postmenopausal Hispanic/Latina (N = 254) women with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m² were randomized to an intervention to reduce sitting time or a comparison condition for 12 weeks. The standing intervention group received three in-person health-counseling sessions, one home visit, and up to eight motivational interviewing calls. The heart healthy lifestyle comparison group (C) received an equal number of contact hours to discuss healthy aging. The primary outcome was 12-week change in sitting time measured via thigh-worn activPAL. Group differences in outcomes were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. Participants had a mean age of 65 (6.5) years, preferred Spanish language (89%), BMI of 32.4 (4.8) kg/m², and sat for an average of 540 (86) minutes/day. Significant between-group differences were observed in reductions of sitting time across the 12-week period [M_difference (SE): C − 7.5 (9.1), SI − 71.0 (9.8), p < 0.01]. Results demonstrate that coaching models to reduce sitting are feasible and effective.