Men on the Move: Growing Communities

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Background. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in Pemiscot County, MO. Over the more than ten years our community-academic partnership has been working together we have moved from focusing on individual determinants of heart health to recognizing the contributions of individual, environmental, and social determinants (e.g., information, skills, and access, economic factors) that act synergistically to create these high rates of a variety of risky health behaviors and subsequent health problems including reduced consumption of fruits and vegetables and cardiovascular disease. [1-5] Our pilot project, Men on the Move, focused on men not only because of their extraordinarily high rates CVD but also because it was determined that they need to build their skills and abilities to take on leadership roles in creating healthful changes. Data from Men on the Move highlighted that many African American men in our community do not consume the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. To a large extent, this is due to a combination of individual and community level factors, such as limited community outlets that sell fruits and vegetables, limited produce selection at existing outlets, and lack of knowledge and skills regarding how to improve consumption.