Community-Based Participatory Research to Promote Healthy Diet and Nutrition and Prevent and Control Obesity Among African-Americans: a Literature Review

Abstract

Introduction The literature on community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches for promoting healthy diet, nutrition, and preventing and controlling obesity in African American communities was systematically reviewed as part of the planning process for new research. Methods CBPR studies of diet, nutrition, and weight management among African Americans were identified from 1989 through October 31, 2015 using PubMed and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases and MeSH term and keyword searches. Results A total of 16 CBPR studies on healthy diet, nutrition, and weight management among African Americans were identified; outcome evaluation results were available for all but two. Of the remaining 14 studies, 11 focused on adults, 1 on children, and 2 on both children and adults. Eight studies employed CBPR methods to address diet, nutrition, and weight management in church settings. Four had a cluster randomized controlled design. Others had a pre-post test, quasi-experimental, or uncontrolled design. Only one study addressed four levels of the socioecological model; none addressed all five levels of the model. The studies identified in this review indicate that CBPR approaches can be effective for promoting healthy diet, nutrition, and weight management among African American adults but there is a need for additional studies with rigorous study designs that overcome methodologic limitations of many existing studies. There is only limited evidence for the effectiveness of CBPR approaches for promoting healthy eating and weight control among African American children and adolescents Conclusion To address health disparities, additional CBPR studies are needed to promote healthy diet, nutrition, and weight management in African American communities. Of particular interest are multilevel CBPR studies that include interventions aimed at multiple levels of the socioecological model.

Examining Key Stakeholder and Community Residents’ Understanding of Environmental Influences to Inform Place‐Based Interventions to Reduce Obesity in Rural Communities, Kentucky 2015

“…These findings align with a body of research among rural and low‐income residents who cite a lack of fresh produce as a major concern and a factor contributing to poor diets and obesity . Community concerns have been expressed across a variety of subpopulations about weight status and dietary intake . However, there remains a gap in understanding which community environmental issues should be targeted so as to reach those residents who are already most engaged .…”

“…12,13 Community concerns have been expressed across a variety of subpopulations about weight status and dietary intake. 2,3 However, there remains a gap in a Logistic regression was used to model the association between community concern, access to information, and community awareness in relation to shopping habits. b Reference categories are not shopping at store type (farmers' market; supercenter; supermarket) and no concern or awareness for each model.…”

“…These trends include high obesity rates among rural and geographically isolated communities. Research on the causes of these disparate obesity rates has revealed the role of environmental contexts in promoting high intake of calories and discouraging physical activity . To this end, there has been an emphasis on working in community‐based settings to change the environmental conditions influencing obesity rates .…”

Factors Affecting Dietary Practices in a Mississippi African American Community

“…Dissemination of information among community members about eating practices, and encouraging community members to be actively engaged in discussing and developing solutions within the local socio- structural contexts would also be an important step in addressing chronic disease risk reduction [ 28 ]. To monitor progress in approaches to eliminate health disparities, additional studies are needed to examine and promote healthy diets, nutrition, and weight management in African-American communities [ 42 ].…”

The Potential for Plant-Based Diets to Promote Health Among Blacks Living in the United States

“…These interventions should not be geared only towards the individual, but towards the family and surrounding community as well. Community-based participatory study designs have achieved success for lifestyle changes in Black populations, mainly because diet and lifestyle are so intricately intertwined with Black culture [170]. Cultural identity is impacted by the foods a person eats, and this can result in peer pressure to conform to the cultural norms.…”