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Using a community-based participatory research approach to develop a faith-based obesity intervention for African

Dawnavan S Davis1, Moses V Goldmon, Dionne S Coker-Appiah

  • 1University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. ddavis@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu

Health Promotion Practice
|May 5, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Childhood obesity disproportionately affects African American children. This study developed a faith-based obesity intervention for Sunday schools to address disparities and promote healthy behaviors.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Community Health

Background:

  • Childhood obesity presents a significant public health challenge, with African American (AA) children aged 6-11 years facing a disproportionately higher burden.
  • The African American faith community offers unique strengths for addressing health disparities, highlighting the need to integrate faith and health initiatives.
  • Existing interventions often lack cultural relevance and community engagement, necessitating tailored approaches for specific populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine diet, physical activity, and body image behaviors in AA children (6-11 years).
  • To assess the receptivity of AA children, parents, and church leaders to a faith-based obesity intervention.
  • To identify strengths and barriers for implementing a faith-based obesity curriculum within the church Sunday school setting.

Main Methods:

  • A community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach was employed to ensure cultural relevance and community input.
  • A Community Advisory Network collaborated with researchers to co-design the intervention.
  • A 12-week, culturally tailored, faith-based obesity intervention curriculum was developed for integration into Sunday school.

Main Results:

  • The study successfully developed a culturally appropriate, faith-based obesity intervention tailored for AA children within the Sunday school context.
  • Key behaviors such as diet, physical activity, and body image were examined among the target population.
  • Receptivity and potential implementation challenges were assessed with children, parents, and church leaders.

Conclusions:

  • A community-driven, faith-based obesity intervention has been developed for AA children, leveraging the strengths of the faith community.
  • This intervention holds promise for addressing obesity-related health disparities in AA children by integrating health education into a familiar setting.
  • Further research is warranted to evaluate the effectiveness of this novel curriculum on obesity-related outcomes.

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