Obesity and Stress in South and Southeast Asians (OASIS)

OASIS（南亚人的肥胖和压力）项目采用基于信仰和社区的参与性研究方法，旨在阐明纽约市南亚人口的文化适应、压力和肥胖之间的临床、行为、社会和文化机制，并探索基于信仰的策略在这些社区促进健康和预防疾病的潜在功效。这项为期五年的研究的具体目标包括：在纽约市为亚裔美国人社区服务的信仰组织中建立促进健康和预防疾病的基础设施；为亚裔美国人社区翻译和改编在其他种族和少数民族社区被证明有效的基于证据的信仰干预；并评估适应性干预在南亚社区改善身体活动和降低肥胖及肥胖相关疾病风险方面的功效和有效性。我们将审查在非裔美国人社区中有效的基于信仰的干预措施，并与宗教领袖和社区伙伴合作，确定在亚裔美国人社区的文化背景下可以复制并被认为是可接受和适当的策略。然后，我们将翻译和调整这些组成部分，以符合参与宗教机构的目标和他们所服务的社区的文化和语言适当的策略和信息。对有意义翻译过程和有效采用干预措施至关重要的是以下活动：a)进行形成性研究；b)应用CBPR方法；C)在干预设计中确保基于信仰的领导支持和指导；D)开展适当的信息传递和教育活动；E)支持环境和政策变化；(f)加强宗教和社区领袖参与信仰组织的能力，使其充分参与研究和健康促进（例如包括有效的信息传递和沟通）。我们将能够确定成功的组成部分，可以推广到不同的亚洲种族和宗教团体。

Using a faith-based and community-based participatory research approach, the OASIS (Obesity and Stress in South Asians) Project seeks to elucidate the clinical, behavioral, social and cultural mechanisms that link acculturation, stress, and obesity in South Asian populations in New York City (NYC) and to explore the potential efficacy of faith-based strategies for health promotion and disease prevention in these communities. The Specific Aims of this five-year study include:To establish an infrastructure for health promotion and disease prevention among faith-based organizations serving Asian American communities in NYC; To translate and adapt and evidence-based faith-based intervention proven effective in other racial and ethnic minority communities for the Asian American community; and To evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of the adapted intervention to improve physical activity and reduce the risk for obesity and obesity-related diseases among South Asian communities. We will review faith-based intervention components found to be effective in the African American community and work with religious leaders and community partners to identify those strategies that could be replicated and are deemed acceptable and appropriate within the cultural context of Asian American communities. We will then translate and adapt these components in culturally- and linguistically-appropriate strategies and messages that fit with the goals of the participating religious institutions and for the communities they serve. Critical to the process of meaningful translation and effective adoption of the intervention is the following activities: a) conduct formative research; b) apply a CBPR approach; c) secure faith-based leadership support and guidance in intervention design; d) develop appropriate messaging and educational campaigns; e) support environmental and policy changes; and f) strengthen capacity of religious and community leaders at participating faith-based organizations to fully engage in research, as well as health promotion (including for example, effective messaging and communication). We will be able to identify successful components that can be generalized across different Asian ethnic and religious groups.