Short-Term Impact of a Church-Based Approach to Lifestyle Change on Cardiovascular Risk in African Americans

• Published in: Ethnicity & disease 2000, Vol.10 (1), p.17-23
• Main Authors: Oexmann, Mary Joan, Thomas, James C., Taylor, Kelly B., O'Neil, Patrick M., Garvey, W. Timothy, Lackland, Daniel T., Egan, Brent M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: African Americans; Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology; Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control; Christianity; Community Health Services - organization & administration; Female; Health Promotion - methods; Humans; Life Style; Male; Middle Aged; Original Reports: Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease; Program Evaluation; Risk Factors; South Carolina - epidemiology
• ISSN: 1049-510X; 1945-0826

While lifestyle modification decreases cardiovascular risk, there are barriers to lifestyle education in usual clinical practice, especially among the medically underserved. To address this gap, "Lighten Up," a church-based lifestyle program was developed in collaboration with the local African-American Christian community. Lighten Up includes a baseline health assessment (week 1), eight educational sessions (weeks 2-9) combining study of scripture and a health message, a short-term health check (week 10) and a long-term health check (week 52). Baseline and 10 week risk factor data have been obtained in 133 African Americans from eight sites (83% women) and form the basis of this report. At baseline, 76% of participants had two or more modifiable risk factors (overweight, hypertension, borderline high cholesterol, or diabetes). The entire group had significant short-term reductions in weight (-2.3 pounds, P< .01), mean blood pressure (BP, -2.1 mm Hg, P < .05), and triglycérides (-11 mg/dl, P < .05). Risk factor improvement was greater among the 60 subjects who attended 75% or more of the educational sessions. In this group, weight fell 2.9 ± 0.6 pounds (mean ± SEM; P< .01), mean BP declined 3.8 ± 1.2 mm Hg (P < .01), total cholesterol was lowered 6 ± 4 mg/dl (P = .12), and triglycerides were reduced 17 ± 9 mg/dl (P = .05). Lighten Up is reaching a group with multiple cardiovascular risk factors that is not optimally managed by existing healthcare resources. Of the 133 participants, 70% attended half or more of the sessions, and several components of the risk factor cluster were favorably affected.