title: Using a community-based participatory research approach to develop a faith-based obesity intervention for African American children.
abstract: Childhood obesity is a major epidemic, with African American (AA) children aged 6 to 11 years experiencing increased burden. The AA faith community has numerous assets that point to the need for the intersection of faith and health to address obesity-related racial disparities. The purpose of the Our Bodies, God's Temples (OBGT) study was to examine diet, physical activity, and body image behaviors among AA children aged 6 to 11 years; receptivity to a faith-based obesity intervention among AA children, parents, and church leaders; and strengths and barriers of implementing a faith-based obesity curriculum in the Sunday school setting. A community-based participatory research approach was used to develop an obesity intervention to be integrated into the church Sunday school setting for AA children. A Community Advisory Network worked with researchers to develop a 12-week culturally appropriate faith-based obesity intervention. Future work will test the effectiveness of the newly created curriculum on obesity-related outcomes in AA children.
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. ddavis@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
authors.forename: Dawnavan S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Moses V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Goldmon
authors.forename: Dionne S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Coker-Appiah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D002648:Child; D002835:Christianity; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016730:Program Development; D014481:United States