Review and Evaluation of Faith-Based Weight Management Interventions That Target African American Women

Abstract

This integrative review was conducted to present results of the use of recommended criteria to evaluate faith-based weight management interventions (WMIs) that target African American women. This group experiences the highest prevalence of adult obesity in the US when compared to other ethnic groups. "Best practice" WMIs can help to alleviate obesity. Faith-based interventions hold promise for helping to address the problem of obesity in African American women since a significant portion of these persons views the church as a trusted entity that advocates for their well-being. No systematic evaluation of faith-based WMIs has been reported even though there is an ongoing plea for the need for better evaluation of health interventions that prioritizes comprehensive description of their attributes (e.g., linkage to theory, interventionists' background, and dosage) to enable replication and a broader assessment of their validity to include appropriateness and feasibility). Critique criteria were applied to faith-based WMIs (n = 5) that target African American women. Findings highlighted the need for increased disclosure about the (1) interventionists' background, (2) intervention's location within the church setting, and (3) nature of any "pre-intervention"’ treatment. The review also indicated the need for interventions that are (1) designed from robust research methodologies (effectiveness) that include randomization of both church setting and participants, (2) deemed appropriate from the perspective of African American women targeted, and (3) are financially feasible-without steep participant incentives/implementation costs that compromise internal validity and any positive outcomes generated.

Reducing disparities and achieving equity in African American women’s health.

“…in faith-based settings have also addressed weight loss (Timmons, 2015), cancer screening (Haynes, Escoffery, Wilkerson, Bell, & Flowers, 2014), and physical activity and blood pressure (Duru, Sarkisian, Leng, & Mangione, 2010), among other health problems. Beauty salons have also been sites for health programs for African American women.…”

The Importance of Religiosity to the Well-Being of African American Older Adults Living With Dementia

“…Faith communities should be willing to support all efforts in providing an avenue for older adults living with dementia to engage and worship as they age in place, become frailer, and may not be able to physically get to a specified location. Faith communities have been shown to be appropriate settings for future community-based dementia research, education, and interventions (Lancaster, Carter-Edwards, Grilo, Shen, & Schoenthaler, 2014; Timmons, 2015; Kwon et al, 2017). The inclusion of religiosity in dementia-friendly frameworks and interventions can also benefit the African American community.…”

A Narrative Review of Ethnic Minority Studies for Faith-Based Health Promotion Interventions with Special Reference to the Contemporary Christian Nurse

“…Contemporary literature continues to support the association between religious involvement and health lifestyle behaviors (Chatters, 2000;Gotwals, 2018;Kyryliuk, Baruth, & Wilcox, 2015;Lancaster, Carter-Edwards, Grilo, Shen, & Schoenthaler, 2014;Levin, 2014;Sattin et al, 2016;Timmons, 2014;Yeary et al, 2015;Young et al, 2014). Perhaps the most significant barrier to any health education program is the ability to produce long-term behavior change for program participants.…”

“…The highest rates of obesity among Americans occurs within the African American population, specifically among African American women (Timmons, 2014). While not true for all African Americans, those that practice religion tend to be highly involved within their faith communities that act as both a social and religious community cornerstone (Young, Patterson, Wolff, Greer, & Wynne, 2014).…”