Reduced Prevalence of Obesity in 14 Disadvantaged Black Communities in the United States: A Successful 4-Year Place-Based Participatory Intervention.
To assess the impact of a large-scale place-based intervention on obesity prevalence in Black communities.



The Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health across the United States (REACH US) project was conducted in 14 predominantly Black communities in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. We measured trends from 2009 to 2012 in the prevalence of obesity. We used Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to compare these trends with trends among non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic Blacks in the United States and in the 10 states where REACH communities were located, and with a propensity score-matched national sample of non-Hispanic Blacks.



The age-standardized prevalence of obesity decreased in REACH US communities (P = .045), but not in the comparison populations (P = .435 to P = .996). The relative change was -5.3% in REACH US communities versus +2.4% in propensity score-matched controls (P value for the difference = .031). The net effect on the reduction of obesity prevalence was about 1 percentage point per year for REACH.



Obesity prevalence was reduced in 14 disadvantaged Black communities that participated in the REACH project.
Youlian Liao, Paul Z. Siegel, and Shaoman Yin are with the Division of Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Lucas G. Garraza, Ye Xu, Melissa Scardaville, Tesfayi Gebreselassie, and Robert L. Stephens are with ICF International, Atlanta, GA.
Youlian
Y
Liao
Youlian Liao, Paul Z. Siegel, and Shaoman Yin are with the Division of Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Lucas G. Garraza, Ye Xu, Melissa Scardaville, Tesfayi Gebreselassie, and Robert L. Stephens are with ICF International, Atlanta, GA.
Paul Z
PZ
Siegel
Youlian Liao, Paul Z. Siegel, and Shaoman Yin are with the Division of Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Lucas G. Garraza, Ye Xu, Melissa Scardaville, Tesfayi Gebreselassie, and Robert L. Stephens are with ICF International, Atlanta, GA.
Lucas G
LG
Garraza
Youlian Liao, Paul Z. Siegel, and Shaoman Yin are with the Division of Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Lucas G. Garraza, Ye Xu, Melissa Scardaville, Tesfayi Gebreselassie, and Robert L. Stephens are with ICF International, Atlanta, GA.
Ye
Y
Xu
Youlian Liao, Paul Z. Siegel, and Shaoman Yin are with the Division of Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Lucas G. Garraza, Ye Xu, Melissa Scardaville, Tesfayi Gebreselassie, and Robert L. Stephens are with ICF International, Atlanta, GA.
Shaoman
S
Yin
Youlian Liao, Paul Z. Siegel, and Shaoman Yin are with the Division of Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Lucas G. Garraza, Ye Xu, Melissa Scardaville, Tesfayi Gebreselassie, and Robert L. Stephens are with ICF International, Atlanta, GA.
Melissa
M
Scardaville
Youlian Liao, Paul Z. Siegel, and Shaoman Yin are with the Division of Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Lucas G. Garraza, Ye Xu, Melissa Scardaville, Tesfayi Gebreselassie, and Robert L. Stephens are with ICF International, Atlanta, GA.
Tesfayi
T
Gebreselassie
Youlian Liao, Paul Z. Siegel, and Shaoman Yin are with the Division of Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Lucas G. Garraza, Ye Xu, Melissa Scardaville, Tesfayi Gebreselassie, and Robert L. Stephens are with ICF International, Atlanta, GA.
Robert L
RL
Stephens
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D040343:Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology*; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D057216:Propensity Score; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult