A Faith-Based Partnership to Address Obesity in African American families

描述(申请人提供)：肥胖在非裔美国人(AA)人群中仍然非常普遍，影响到近40%的AA男性和令人震惊的59%的AA女性。不幸的是，这种趋势在再生障碍性贫血儿童和青少年中也存在；最近的数据表明，再生障碍性贫血儿童和青少年(2-19岁)的肥胖率为24.3%，而非西班牙裔白人的肥胖率为16.1%。鉴于一些证据表明，肥胖通过社会关系传播，包括家庭，因此当父母肥胖时，儿童肥胖的风险会增加，因此开发有效的基于家庭的方法来改善肥胖及其相关行为是至关重要的。学术机构和以信仰为基础的组织，特别是教会之间的合作伙伴关系，可能是干预发展的最佳媒介之一。拟议的会议赠款旨在通过利用信仰社区为制定战略奠定基础，以解决AA社区中基于家庭的肥胖问题。这将通过扩大德克萨斯大学MD Anderson癌症中心(MD Anderson)和温莎村联合卫理公会教会(WVUMC)之间的现有研究伙伴关系来实现-创建对癌症研究和社区健康(CHECH)的更高理解。具体地说，我们将：1)加强现有的基于信仰的学术伙伴关系，以解决非裔美国人社区中的家庭肥胖和肥胖相关行为；2)加强伙伴关系利益攸关方和当地社区通过能力建设机会积极参与伙伴关系的能力； 3)评估教众和社区对非裔美国人肥胖和肥胖相关行为的兴趣；以及4)制定社区驱动的研究议程，侧重于在基于信仰的环境中解决肥胖问题)。为了实现这些目标，我们将邀请社区伙伴加入以学术和社区信仰为基础的伙伴关系，为伙伴关系发展组织结构，并通过能力建设加强伙伴关系。我们将进行社区需求评估，重点关注影响肥胖计划实施的教会因素，以及AA青少年、成年人和教会领导层对肥胖及其相关行为的关注和需求。我们将实施来自社区评估的健康教育，征求反馈意见，并将未来发展的项目概念发展为赠款申请。我们的目标是，成功完成这一会议赠款系列将导致：1)扩大学术、基于信仰的伙伴关系，使其有能力成为领导者，并成为消除休斯顿乃至全国AA肥胖差异的推动力(AIMS&2)；2)全面评估AA家庭和基于信仰的组织解决肥胖问题的优势和需求(目标3)；以及3)以项目概念、未来赠款和超越会议系列赠款寿命的持续伙伴关系的形式，以社区驱动的议程形式(目标4)。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): ABSTRACT Obesity continues to be highly prevalent in the African American (AA) population, affecting nearly 40% of AA men and a staggering 59% of AA women. Unfortunately this trend is also present in AA children and adolescents; recent data indicate obesity prevalence in AA children and adolescents (age 2 - 19) to be 24.3% compared to 16.1% of non-Hispanic whites. Given some evidence that obesity spreads through social ties, including families, such that there is an increased risk of obesity among children when a parent is obese, developing effective family-based approaches to improving obesity and its related behaviors is paramount. Collaborative partnerships between academic institutions and faith-based organizations, specifically churches, may be one of the most optimal mediums for intervention development. The proposed conference grant seeks to lay the groundwork for the development of strategies to address family-based obesity in the AA community by leveraging the faith community. This will be accomplished by expanding an existing research partnership between The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson) and Windsor Village United Methodist Church (WVUMC) - Creating a Higher Understanding of Cancer Research & Community Health (CHURCH). Specifically, we will: 1) enhance an existing faith-based-academic partnership to address family obesity and obesity- related behaviors in the African American community; 2) strengthen the capacity of partnership stakeholders and the local community to actively participate in the partnership through capacity building opportunities; 3) assess congregational and community interest in obesity and obesity-related behaviors in African Americans; and 4) develop a community-driven research agenda focused on addressing obesity in faith-based settings). To meet these aims we will invite community partners to join an academic-community-faith-based partnership, develop an organizational structure for the partnership and strengthen partnership through capacity building. We will conduct a community needs assessment focused on church- based factors that influence implementation of obesity programs and concerns and needs of AA youth, adults and church leadership with regards to obesity and its related behaviors. We will implement health education derived from community assessments, solicit feedback, and develop a project concept for future development into a grant application. Our goal is that the successful completion of this conference grant series will result in: 1) an expanded academic, faith-based partnership with the capacity to be leaders and a driving force to eliminate disparities in AA obesity in Houston and potentially nationally (Aims & 2); 2) a comprehensive assessment of the strengths and needs of AA families and faith- based organizations to address obesity (Aim 3); and 3) a community-driven agenda in the form of project concepts, future grants, and sustained Partnership beyond the life of the conference series grant (Aim 4).