Obesity through the Life Cycle

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of this initiative is for Morgan State University researchers, previously awarded the Extramural Associates Research Development Award (EARDA), community partners and individual community members to jointly work to address the issue of overweight and obesity as well as information dissemination through community organization, needs assessment, consensus building and program development. The community partners are - Communities Organized to Improve Life (COIL, Inc) and Southwest Baltimore School Community Church Partnership Project (SWBCCP)(Youth Empowered to Live Longer - YELL). This three year planning grant will be used to accomplish the following specific aims: 1. Strengthen and formalize the existing partnership between MSU-PHP, COIL, and SWBCCP/YELL as well as other community partners such as grocers, fast food restaurant leaders, Parks and Recreation Department, other neighborhood vendors and other community stakeholders by developing an advisory group with representation from all stakeholders. 2. Conduct a series of meetings (advisory committee meetings, core work group meetings, seminars, workshops, focus groups, colloquia and conferences) to identify and document the community's view of specifics about obesity as the primary health problem for impact. 3. Disseminate existing obesity related health education information to the partners during all the types of meetings mentioned above to increase awareness of obesity and its role in chronic disease and health disparities as well as for purposes of health promotion and disease prevention. 4. Align the community and EARDA institution's research priorities through consensus building activities.  5. Develop the competitive five year grant application containing short-term and long-term goals and objectives derived from the partners working together. Formative, process and outcome evaluation will be ongoing throughout the life of the Project in an effort to document the activities for model building to inform subsequent phases.