Julio C Loya

Interests

Research

I conduct research to improve the health of Hispanic/LatinX adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Currently, I am focusing on culturally-adapted behavioral change interventions with an emphasis on physical activity.

Courses

Scholarly Contributions

Journals/Publications

• Loya, J., Garcia, D. O., Maldonado, A., & Villavicencio, E. (2025). A Culturally Tailored Physical Activity Intervention for Hispanic Adults Living With Type 2 Diabetes: Pre-Post Pilot Feasibility Study. JMIR Diabetes, 10. doi:10.2196/62876
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  Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disease that affects over 38 million adults in the United States, who are disproportionately Hispanic. Objective: This study describes the development and implementation of Salud Paso por Paso, a culturally tailored and linguistically appropriate intervention to increase engagement in physical activity (PA) for Hispanic adults living with T2DM. Methods: Participants were enrolled in a 6-week pre-post pilot test of a culturally tailored intervention that included sessions covering different aspects of PA and T2DM. Participants were recruited at a local free clinic. Nonparametric paired-sample Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to examine differences between pre- and postintervention measures. Results: Twenty-one participants were recruited, and 19 (90.5%) completed the intervention. Participants significantly increased average hours spent in moderate PA, by 3.16 hours (from 4.73, SD 3.79 minutes to 9.63, SD 6.39 minutes; Z=−3.52; P
• Maldonado, A., Loya, J. C., Villavicencio, E. A., Torres, R., Sanchez, E., Luzanilla, E., Garcia, T., Vazquez, L., Hoffman, R. M., Torres, E., & Garcia, D. O. (2025). Understanding Drivers of Prostate Cancer Screening in Mexican-Origin Men Along the U.S./Mexico Border Region. American journal of men's health, 19(Issue 3). doi:10.1177/15579883251343956
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  The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends individualized decision making about prostate cancer screening for men between 55 and 69 years of age. Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, Hispanic men are less likely to report having had a prostate-specific antigen test. While these differences have been attributed to individual- and system-level barriers in early detection and screening of prostate cancer (PCa), less is known about Mexican-origin men perceptions of barriers to PCa screening. Using a community-based participatory research approach, we conducted semistructured interviews (5 men with PCa history; 15 men without PCa history) to characterize Mexican-origin men's knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and experiences with PCa screening in Yuma County, Arizona. Mexican-origin men viewed genetic predisposition as the main driver of PCa, yet participants highly endorsed PCa screening as reflected by the high rates of PCa screening in our study sample. Further, men spoke to how PCa is a taboo subject among Mexican-origin men and how getting screened for it is often perceived as a threat to their manhood. Finally, Mexican-origin men identified a variety of system-level barriers to PCa screening including lack of health insurance, elevated medical costs, and lack of transportation. The study findings add to an emerging body of literature on determinants of PCa screening among Mexican-origin men. The results of this study have significant implications for public health as they underscore the need for multifaceted interventions that target both individual behaviors and broader social influences to increase PCa screening rates among Mexican-origin men.
• Loya, J. C. (2018). Systematic Review of Physical Activity Interventions in Hispanic Adults. Hispanic Health Care International, 16(4), 174-188.
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  Physical activity (PA) has demonstrated substantial physical and psychological benefits. However, Hispanics engage in less leisure-time PA when compared with other groups, putting them at higher risk for diseases associated with obesity, such as diabetes mellitus type 2. This literature review was conducted to identify best practices with regard to interventions designed to increase PA among Hispanic adults.
• Conn, V. S., Jefferson, U., Cohen, M. Z., Anderson, C. M., Killion, C. M., Fahrenwald, N. L., Benefield, L. E., Titler, M., Topp, R., Smith, C. E., & Loya, J. (2017). Strategies to Build Authorship Competence Among PhD Students. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 39(3), 329-355.
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  Publication in refereed journals is an important responsibility of PhD-prepared nurses. Specialized writing skills are crucial for effective professional publication. The capacity to develop and publish articles is best learned during doctoral education. This Western Journal of Nursing Research Editorial Board Special Article addresses multi-dimensional strategies to develop authorship competence among doctoral students. The article outlines structured PhD program experiences to provide the context for students to develop authorship capacity. The authors identify multi-faceted faculty endeavors and student activities that are essential to foster authorship competence. Students who embrace opportunities to acquire authorship qualifications will be well prepared for their post-graduation role as stewards of the nursing discipline.
• Conn, V. S., Zerwic, J., Jefferson, U., Anderson, C. M., Killion, C. M., Smith, C. E., Cohen, M. Z., Fahrenwald, N. L., Herrick, L., Topp, R., Benefield, L. E., & Loya, J. (2016). Normalizing Rejection. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 38(2), 137-54.
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  Getting turned down for grant funding or having a manuscript rejected is an uncomfortable but not unusual occurrence during the course of a nurse researcher's professional life. Rejection can evoke an emotional response akin to the grieving process that can slow or even undermine productivity. Only by "normalizing" rejection, that is, by accepting it as an integral part of the scientific process, can researchers more quickly overcome negative emotions and instead use rejection to refine and advance their scientific programs. This article provides practical advice for coming to emotional terms with rejection and delineates methods for working constructively to address reviewer comments.
• Loya, J. (2015). Lack of physical activity in Hispanic adults. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 37(6), 703-4.

Presentations

• Loya, J. C. (2023, October). A culturally-tailored physical activity pilot intervention with Hispanic adults living with type 2 diabetes.. Network of Minority Health Research Investigators West Region Workshop. Las Vegas, NV: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Poster Presentations

• Loya, J. C. (2023, April). Improving diabetes outcomes in LatinX adults: Salud Paso por Paso protocol. Western Institute of Nursing 56th Annual Communicating Research Conference. Tucson, AZ.
• Raygoza, J. P., Riggan, K. A., Villavicencio, E. A., Maldonado, A., Loya, J. C., Garcia, D. O., Allyse, M. A., & Austin, J. D. (2023, September). What’s at risk: Characterizing risk perceptions among Hispanic women 25-50 residing in Arizona.. Arizona Health Equity Conference. Phoenix, AZ.