Optimizing Cognition Via Exercise and Nutrition

By 2060, the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in Latinos is projected to increase by 832%. There is an urgent need to create non-pharmacological interventions to reduce the risk of AD among Latinos. Physical activity (PA) and diet interventions (e.g. Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND)) have been shown to decrease the incidence of AD. Behavioral interventions that concomitantly target physical activity (PA) and diet have shown an improvement in cognitive function; however, these studies have not been conducted in older Latinos nor have they included culturally appropriate interventions. The need to test culturally appropriate PA and diet interventions that have the potential to reduce the loss of cognitive function in older Latinos, a group at elevated risk of health disparities, is of high public health importance. OCEAN (Optimizing Cognition via Exercise and Nutrition) is a 6-month multidomain (Latin dance plus MIND DIET) intervention delivered virtually to middle-aged and older Latinos. The investigators propose a pilot randomized controlled trial to test the preliminary efficacy of the refined BAILAMOS™ Latin dance program plus MIND (Mediterranean-DASH diet intervention for neurodegenerative delay)- a new program tailored for the protection of the brain. The impact of the combined program (intervention group (IG)) will be compared to a BAILAMOS™ plus health education (control group (CG)) on cognitive performance among middle-aged to older Latinos at risk of cognitive decline.