title: Turn the Beat Around: A Stroke Prevention Program for African-American Churches.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to pilot a socioculturally tailored church-based stroke prevention program delivered by trained community health workers (CHWs) and to test its effects on participant knowledge scores.
  
  
  METHODS
  A single-group, pre-post test pilot study was conducted with a convenience sample of 201 adult African-Americans recruited from nine churches in three Alabama counties. Measurements included participant weight, blood pressure (BP), physical activity level; knowledge related to hypertension, heart disease, and stroke; cigarette smoking; and access to care, as well as the Stages of Change constructs within the Transtheoretical Model. The intervention was a six-session group-based health education program delivered by trained CHWs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measurements included participant weight, blood pressure (BP), physical activity level; knowledge related to hypertension, heart disease, and stroke; cigarette smoking; and access to care, as well as the Stages of Change constructs within the Transtheoretical Model. The intervention was a six-session group-based health education program delivered by trained CHWs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From baseline to 12 weeks, knowledge increased significantly (p < .001). Systolic BP measures improved (p = .0008). More than half of participants lost weight; however, weight change did not reach significance (p = .1380). Most (87%) participants indicated having a medical home at baseline; at the end of the study the percentage increased to 92% (p = .0138).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A church-based intervention delivered by trained CHWs is feasible and may be a promising public health strategy to increase knowledge regarding hypertension and stroke prevention among African-Americans.
authors.affiliation: Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Lovoria B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Brandi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.affiliation: Center for the Study of Community Health, University of Alabama Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Mary B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health, Rockville, Maryland.
authors.forename: Chazeman
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama.
authors.forename: Alethea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: National USA Foundation, Memphis, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D000407:Alabama; D003150:Community Health Workers; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D020521:Stroke / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control
keywords: African-Americans; blood pressure; community health workers; intervention; religion