Asset Details
Do you wish to reserve the book?
Neighborhood context shapes physical activity intervention outcomes: a comparison of human vs. virtual advisors
Hey, we have placed the reservation for you!
By the way, why not check out events that you can attend while you pick your title.
Oops! Something went wrong.
Looks like we were not able to place the reservation. Kindly try again later.
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
Neighborhood context shapes physical activity intervention outcomes: a comparison of human vs. virtual advisors
Do you wish to request the book?
Neighborhood context shapes physical activity intervention outcomes: a comparison of human vs. virtual advisors
Please be aware that the book you have requested cannot be checked out. If you would like to checkout this book, you can reserve another copy
We have requested the book for you!
Your request is successful and it will be processed during the Library working hours. Please check the status of your request in My Requests.
Oops! Something went wrong.
Looks like we were not able to place your request. Kindly try again later.
Journal Article
Neighborhood context shapes physical activity intervention outcomes: a comparison of human vs. virtual advisors
2026
Overview
Background
Neighborhood conditions are key social determinants of health (SDOH) that play a critical role in healthy aging. Incorporating contextual measures into behavioral medicine interventions is essential for creating adaptable, equity-focused health solutions. Yet, few physical activity (PA) interventions explicitly evaluate how these factors influence effectiveness. We conducted a secondary analysis of the Computerized Physical Activity Support for Seniors (COMPASS) Trial to examine whether neighborhood context, measured by the California Healthy Places Index (HPI), moderated intervention effects on PA among Latino/a older adults.
Methods
The COMPASS trial was a single-blind, cluster-randomized non-inferiority trial comparing an interactive virtual advisor (reference arm) with a trained human peer advisor. PA outcomes, including weekly minutes of walking and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), were assessed with the CHAMPS questionnaire at baseline and 12 months. Neighborhood conditions were measured with the HPI, a composite index of 25 indicators across eight domains (e.g., housing, education, transportation) that reflect place-based SDOH. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher values indicating more health-supportive environments. Mixed-effects ANCOVA models adjusted for baseline PA, age, and gender, with a random intercept for study site, and tested effect modification via interaction terms between intervention arm and HPI.
Results
Among 245 Latino/a participants (mean age = 62.3 years; 78.8% female), HPI significantly moderated intervention effects. When modeled continuously, significant interactions were observed for 12-month changes in walking (β = − 2.93;
P
= .041) and MVPA (β = − 2.54 min/week per HPI point;
P
= .033). These findings indicated that the human advisor was comparatively more effective in lower-HPI neighborhoods, whereas the virtual advisor produced stronger improvements in higher-HPI neighborhoods. In sensitivity analyses using dichotomized HPI, the interaction was significant for MVPA (β = − 112.9;
P
= .026) and trended for walking (
P
= .077).
Conclusions
Neighborhood context moderated the relative effectiveness of digital versus human-delivered PA interventions. These findings suggest that tailoring delivery strategies, leveraging digital tools in advantaged areas and peer support in under-resourced neighborhoods, may enhance equity in health promotion for older Latino/a adults by explicitly accounting for neighborhood-level social determinants of health.
Trial registration
Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02111213 Registered April 2, 2014
https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02111213
.
