UTEP clinical trial promotes healthy walking

EL PASO, Texas (March 5, 2024) – Health researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso are launching a clinical trial to improve walking in the El Paso area, thanks to a $4.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Start the exam. . This project enrolls local school district employees in her 50K 4 Life. This program is about improving your health by walking at least 50,000 steps a week.

“This is an incredible opportunity to improve the health of our communities through the simple, free and life-changing power of walking,” said Dr. Jennifer Salinas, principal investigator and associate professor in the School of Social Work. “We are grateful for this unique funding from the National Institutes of Health to advance health equity.”

Salinas' previous research has demonstrated that walking at least 7,000 steps per day, or about 50,000 steps per week, improves overall health. But about half of El Pasoans don't get the recommended daily amount of physical activity, Salinas said. She said research on group fitness challenges and other ways to encourage people to walk more is promising, but this study will be the first to test these methods on Hispanics at the border. said.

Staff from 30 local schools will take part in the study, which will officially begin in August 2025. Each school will be randomly assigned one or more activities, such as walking in teams or setting daily step goals. Participants can track their body movements and monitor their progress compared to other participants.

Three local school districts are partnering with Salinas in the clinical trial: Clint, Fabens and Isleta Independent School Districts.

“Favens ISD cares about our employees and their health,” Interim Superintendent Martin Torres said. “We are excited to partner with UTEP to encourage more active lifestyles, ensuring our teachers and staff address their physical and mental needs at home as well as at work. By partnering with UTEP, we hope to transform the district's culture into a more wellness-based environment and encourage our students to live more active lifestyles.”

Salinas and her team will use the data they collect to identify the most effective activities to get people to take the recommended 7,000 steps per day over 18 months. It also measures health benchmarks such as heart rate and BMI, and identifies systemic barriers that can prevent regular walking, such as lack of a suitable walking route or lack of time.

“This is a great example of how health disparities research at UTEP focuses on Hispanic and borderland health issues,” said Dr. William Robertson, dean of the College of Health Sciences. “While this will directly benefit the Paso del Norte region, it will have a significant impact on national and international perspectives on these issues.”

About the University of Texas at El Paso

The University of Texas at El Paso is one of the largest universities in the United States with a Hispanic-American population. Located along the Rio Grande River in the westernmost part of Texas, where three states and two countries converge, 84% of its 24,000 students are Hispanic, and more than half are the first in their families to attend college. I am a student attending the school. UTEP is America's only open access top research university, offering 172 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs.