Y Living: A Healthy Lifestyle Program for Cancer Prevention and Risk Reduction (Y Living Program) uses evidence-based strategies to promote physical activity, a balanced diet and prevent excess weight among Hispanic families in San Antonio. The proposed multi-component program was developed in response to local needs and builds on expertise, experience and resources from University of Texas Health Science Center, The University of Texas at San Antonio and YMCA of Greater San Antonio. Through this collaborative effort we will implement a culturally-relevant community-based intervention strategy that includes a communication campaign, individually adapted health education, enhanced social supp...

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Y Living: A Healthy Lifestyle Program for Cancer Prevention and Risk Reduction (Y Living Program) uses evidence-based strategies to promote physical activity, a balanced diet and prevent excess weight among Hispanic families in San Antonio. The proposed multi-component program was developed in response to local needs and builds on expertise, experience and resources from University of Texas Health Science Center, The University of Texas at San Antonio and YMCA of Greater San Antonio. Through this collaborative effort we will implement a culturally-relevant community-based intervention strategy that includes a communication campaign, individually adapted health education, enhanced social support and enhanced access to resources.

A pilot healthy lifestyle program conducted by the Westside Family YMCA demonstrated that a community-based, family-focused approach could improve diet, physical activity and fitness. The proposed Y Living Program will expand the reach of the program by adding a coordinated communications campaign to disseminate health information using existing communication channels available to the YMCA and by adding short message system (SMS) technology (i.e., text-messaging) and a speaker’s bureau. The proposed program will also be enhanced by leveraging expertise of behavioral science researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio in translating research evidence into effective health behavior change programs in the community and conducting rigorous and comprehensive program evaluation. The goal of the Y Living Program is to increase community awareness of the impact of healthy lifestyle to cancer prevention and control as well as support families in achieving behavior change goals. The specific aims of the project are to: 1) establish a Y-Living Speaker’s Bureau (SB) to support the Healthy Lifestyle Program and Campaign, 2) plan and implement the Y Living Campaign (Campaign), an education and outreach campaign designed to increase awareness of cancer prevention and risk reduction. The Campaign will utilize visual displays, educational materials, SB presentations, text-messages and e-newsletters to promote special events and disseminate health information, 3) enroll 120 families (~480 individual participants) into the Y Living Healthy Lifestyle Program (Lifestyle Program), an evidence-based 12-week program designed to increase physical activity, improve diet quality and prevent excess weight, and 4) enroll 90 families (~360 individual participants) that complete the Healthy Lifestyle Program into “Commit To Be Fit,” a 3 month follow-up program to promote maintenance of health behavior change. Our collaboration with UTSA Department of Engineering will enhance both campaign and program efforts with SMS (texting) technology. In a addition a comprehensive program evaluation will be implemented to assess the program’s reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance.

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