Turn the Beat Around: A Stroke Prevention Program for African-American Churches

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Disparities
• Community-Based Interventions

Background:

• Stroke disproportionately affects African-Americans, highlighting the need for targeted prevention strategies.
• Community health workers (CHWs) can bridge healthcare gaps within underserved populations.
• Church-based settings offer a culturally relevant platform for health promotion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot a socioculturally tailored, church-based stroke prevention program.
• To evaluate the program's impact on participant knowledge and health behaviors.
• To assess the feasibility of using trained CHWs to deliver the intervention.

Main Methods:

• A single-group, pre-post test pilot study design.
• 201 adult African-Americans recruited from nine churches in Alabama.
• A six-session group-based health education program delivered by trained CHWs, measuring weight, blood pressure, physical activity, knowledge, smoking, and access to care.

Main Results:

• Significant increase in participant knowledge regarding hypertension, heart disease, and stroke (p < .001).
• Significant improvement in systolic blood pressure (p = .0008).
• Increased access to medical homes (p = .0138), though weight change did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusions:

• A church-based intervention delivered by trained CHWs is feasible for stroke prevention.
• This approach shows promise for increasing health knowledge among African-Americans.
• Culturally tailored, community-led programs are vital for addressing health disparities.