title: Short-term impact of a church-based approach to lifestyle change on cardiovascular risk in African Americans.
abstract: 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 triglycerides (-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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA. oexmann@musc.edu
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Oexmann
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: O'Neil
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Garvey
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Lackland
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Egan
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002835:Christianity; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012307:Risk Factors; D013022:South Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology