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

描述（由申请人提供）：摘要肥胖在非洲裔美国人（AA）人群中仍然非常普遍，影响近40%的AA男性和惊人的59%的AA女性。不幸的是，这种趋势也存在于AA儿童和青少年中;最近的数据表明，AA儿童和青少年（2 - 19岁）的肥胖患病率为24.3%，而非西班牙裔白人为16.1%。鉴于一些证据表明肥胖通过社会关系传播，包括家庭，当父母肥胖时，儿童患肥胖症的风险增加，开发有效的基于家庭的方法来改善肥胖及其相关行为至关重要。学术机构和信仰组织，特别是教会之间的合作伙伴关系可能是制定干预措施的最佳途径之一。拟议的会议赠款旨在通过利用信仰社区，为制定解决AA社区家庭肥胖问题的战略奠定基础。这将通过扩大德克萨斯大学MD安德森癌症中心（MD安德森）和温莎村联合卫理公会（WVUMC）之间现有的研究伙伴关系来实现-创建癌症研究和社区健康（CHURCH）的更高理解。具体而言，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的能力，通过能力建设机会积极参与伙伴关系; 3)评估会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，重点关注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一个基于学术-社区-信仰的伙伴关系，为伙伴关系建立一个组织结构，并通过能力建设加强伙伴关系。我们将进行一项社区需求评估，重点是影响肥胖计划实施的教会因素，以及AA青年、成人和教会领导对肥胖及其相关行为的关注和需求。我们会透过社区评估，推行健康教育，并收集意见，为日后的发展制订计划概念，然后申请拨款。我们的目标是，这次会议赠款系列的成功完成将导致：1）扩大学术，信仰为基础的伙伴关系，有能力成为领导者和推动力，以消除在休斯敦AA肥胖的差距，并可能在全国范围内（二）全面评估AA家庭和宗教团体在解决肥胖问题方面的能力和需要（目标三）;以及3）以项目概念、未来赠款和会议系列赠款结束后的持续伙伴关系形式的社区驱动议程（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).