scholarly journals A Cardiovascular Health and Wellness Mobile Health Intervention Among Church-Going African Americans: Formative Evaluation of the FAITH! App

10.2196/21450 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
pp. e21450
Author(s):  
LaPrincess C Brewer ◽  
Ashok Kumbamu ◽  
Christina Smith ◽  
Sarah Jenkins ◽  
Clarence Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Formative Evaluation ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
Community Based Participatory Research ◽  
Health And Wellness ◽  
Health Promoting Behaviors ◽  
High Level

Background In light of the scarcity of culturally tailored mobile health (mHealth) lifestyle interventions for African Americans, we designed and pilot tested the Fostering African-American Improvement in Total Health (FAITH!) App in a community-based participatory research partnership with African American churches to promote cardiovascular health and wellness in this population. Objective This report presents the results of a formative evaluation of the FAITH! App from participants in an intervention pilot study. Methods We included 2 semistructured focus groups (n=4 and n=5) to explore participants’ views on app functionality, utility, and satisfaction as well as its impact on healthy lifestyle change. Sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, and qualitative data were analyzed by using general inductive analysis to generate themes. Results In total, 6 overarching themes emerged among the 9 participants: overall impression, content usefulness, formatting, implementation, impact, and suggestions for improvement. Underpinning the themes was a high level of agreement that the intervention facilitated healthy behavioral change through cultural tailoring, multimedia education modules, and social networking. Suggestions for improvement were streamlining the app self-monitoring features, prompts to encourage app use, and personalization based on individuals’ cardiovascular risk. Conclusions This formative evaluation found that the FAITH! App had high reported satisfaction and impact on the health-promoting behaviors of African Americans, thereby improving their overall cardiovascular health. Further development and testing of the app among African Americans is warranted. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03084822; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03084822.

A Cardiovascular Health and Wellness Mobile Health Intervention Among Church-Going African Americans: Formative Evaluation of the FAITH! App (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
LaPrincess C Brewer ◽  
Ashok Kumbamu ◽  
Christina Smith ◽  
Sarah Jenkins ◽  
Clarence Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Formative Evaluation ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
Community Based Participatory Research ◽  
Health And Wellness ◽  
Health Promoting Behaviors ◽  
High Level

BACKGROUND In light of the scarcity of culturally tailored mobile health (mHealth) lifestyle interventions for African Americans, we designed and pilot tested the Fostering African-American Improvement in Total Health (FAITH!) App in a community-based participatory research partnership with African American churches to promote cardiovascular health and wellness in this population. OBJECTIVE This report presents the results of a formative evaluation of the FAITH! App from participants in an intervention pilot study. METHODS We included 2 semistructured focus groups (n=4 and n=5) to explore participants’ views on app functionality, utility, and satisfaction as well as its impact on healthy lifestyle change. Sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, and qualitative data were analyzed by using general inductive analysis to generate themes. RESULTS In total, 6 overarching themes emerged among the 9 participants: overall impression, content usefulness, formatting, implementation, impact, and suggestions for improvement. Underpinning the themes was a high level of agreement that the intervention facilitated healthy behavioral change through cultural tailoring, multimedia education modules, and social networking. Suggestions for improvement were streamlining the app self-monitoring features, prompts to encourage app use, and personalization based on individuals’ cardiovascular risk. CONCLUSIONS This formative evaluation found that the FAITH! App had high reported satisfaction and impact on the health-promoting behaviors of African Americans, thereby improving their overall cardiovascular health. Further development and testing of the app among African Americans is warranted. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03084822; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03084822.

scholarly journals 4044 A Cardiovascular Health and Wellness Mobile Health Intervention Among Church-going African-Americans: Formative Evaluation of the FAITH! App

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (s1) ◽  
pp. 53-53
Author(s):  
LaPrincess Brewer ◽  
Ashok Kumbamu ◽  
Christina Smith ◽  
Sarah Jenkins ◽  
Clarence Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Lifestyle Intervention ◽  
Formative Evaluation ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Health Promoting Behaviors ◽  
High Level

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: To evaluate the FAITH! (Fostering African-American Improvement in Total Health) App mHealth lifestyle intervention by using post-intervention feedback obtained from participants in our intervention pilot study. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We used qualitative methods (focus groups) to elicit post-intervention feedback. Participants who completed the pilot study were recruited to one of two focus groups. Semi-structured focus groups were conducted to explore participants’ views on the app functionality, utility and satisfaction as well as its impact on healthy lifestyle change. Sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and qualitative data were analyzed by systematic text condensation thematic analysis. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Nine individuals participated (N = 4 and N = 5) in each of the two focus groups. Their mean age was 47.9 years (SD 12.1), 67% were women, and all had at least an education level of some college. Six overarching themes emerged from the data: (1) overall impression, (2) content usefulness (3) formatting, (4) implementation, (5) impact and (6) suggestions for improvement. Underpinning the themes was a high level of agreement that the intervention facilitated healthy behavioral change through cultural tailoring, multimedia education modules and social networking. Among the suggestions for improvement were streamlining of app self-monitoring features, personalization based on individual’s cardiovascular risk and attentiveness to nuanced cultural perspectives. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: This formative evaluation found the FAITH! App mHealth lifestyle intervention had high reported satisfaction and impact on the health-promoting behaviors of African-Americans, thereby improving their overall cardiovascular health. The findings provide further support for the acceptability of mHealth interventions among African-Americans. CONFLICT OF INTEREST DESCRIPTION: None.

scholarly journals Promoting cardiovascular health and wellness among African-Americans: Community participatory approach to design an innovative mobile-health intervention

PLoS ONE ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. e0218724 ◽  
Author(s):  
LaPrincess C. Brewer ◽  
Sharonne N. Hayes ◽  
Amber R. Caron ◽  
David A. Derby ◽  
Nicholas S. Breutzman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African Americans ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Participatory Approach ◽  
Health Intervention ◽  
Health And Wellness

scholarly journals Addressing Cardiovascular Health Disparities in Minnesota: Establishment of a Community Steering Committee by FAITH! (Fostering African-American Improvement in Total Health)

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (21) ◽  
pp. 4144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chandrika Manjunath ◽  
Oluwatomilona Ifelayo ◽  
Clarence Jones ◽  
Monisha Washington ◽  
Stanton Shanedling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Community Based Participatory Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
Steering Committee ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Health Promotion Initiative ◽  
Cardiovascular Health Promotion

Despite its rank as the fourth healthiest state in the United States, Minnesota has clear cardiovascular disease disparities between African-Americans and whites. Culturally-tailored interventions implemented using community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles have been vital to improving health and wellness among African-Americans. This paper delineates the establishment, impact, and lessons learned from the formation of a community steering committee (CSC) to guide the Fostering African-American Improvement in Total Health (FAITH!) Program, a CBPR cardiovascular health promotion initiative among African-Americans in Minnesota. The theory-informed CSC implementation process included three phases: (1) Membership Formation and Recruitment, (2) Engagement, and (3) Covenant Development and Empowerment. The CSC is comprised of ten diverse community members guided by mutually agreed upon bylaws in their commitment to FAITH!. Overall, members considered the CSC implementation process effective and productive. A CBPR conceptual model provided an outline of proximal and distal goals for the CSC and FAITH!. The CSC implementation process yielded four lessons learned: (1) Have clarity of purpose and vision, (2) cultivate group cohesion, (3) employ consistent review of CBPR tenets, and (4) expect the unexpected. A robust CSC was established and was instrumental to the success and impact of FAITH! within African-American communities in Minnesota.

Engaging African American Parents to Develop a Mobile Health Technology for Breastfeeding: KULEA-NET

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 448-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loral Patchen ◽  
Lindsey Ellis ◽  
Cherise B. Harrington ◽  
Tony Ma ◽  
Rohini Mohanraj ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Social Desirability ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Health Technology ◽  
African American Parents ◽  
System Usability Scale ◽  
System Usability ◽  
Public Breastfeeding

Background African Americans breastfeed less than other groups, which has implications for health throughout the life course. Little is known about mobile health technologies to support breastfeeding. Research aims This study proceeded in two phases. The aim of Phase 1 was to identify ideal technological components and content of a mobile health intervention. The aim of Phase 2 was to determine the usability of a prototype, KULEA-NET, based on the Phase 1 findings. Methods For this mixed-methods study, we used community-based participatory research methods and user-centered technology design methods. We used open coding in NVivo 11 to organize data from focus groups and in-depth interviews, then we analyzed the data. We then developed a prototype and tested the prototype’s usability with the System Usability Scale. Fifty pregnant and postpartum African Americans from the District of Columbia participated. Results Participants preferred an app with text messaging technology and identified areas for intervention: self-efficacy, parent-child attachment beliefs, social support, public breastfeeding and social desirability, and returning to work. Desired features included local resources, support person access, baby care logs, identification of public breastfeeding venues, and peer discussions. The System Usability Scale score was 73.8, which indicates above average usability. Conclusions A mobile health technology like KULEA-NET can be used to meet the breastfeeding needs of African Americans, build social desirability, and complement traditional health care. The appeal of an African American-specific intervention is unclear. Responding to mixed feeding practices is challenging. KULEA-NET is a mobile breastfeeding intervention guided by the preferences of African American parents and offers promising usability metrics.

scholarly journals Improving Cardiovascular Health Among African-Americans Through Mobile Health: the FAITH! App Pilot Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 1376-1378 ◽  
Author(s):  
LaPrincess C. Brewer ◽  
Sharonne N. Hayes ◽  
Sarah M. Jenkins ◽  
Kandace A. Lackore ◽  
Carmen Radecki Breitkopf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Cardiovascular Health

Abstract MP58: Racial Residential Segregation is Associated With Worse Cardiovascular Health in African American Adults: The Jackson Heart Study

Circulation ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 137 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharrelle Barber ◽  
Kiarri Kershaw ◽  
Xu Wang ◽  
Mario Sims ◽  
Julianne Nelson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Residential Segregation ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Jackson Heart Study ◽  
Racial Residential Segregation ◽  
African American Adults ◽  
Heart Study ◽  
Neighborhood Environments ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Racial residential segregation results in increased exposure to adverse neighborhood environments for African Americans; however, the impact of segregation on ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) has not been examined in large, socioeconomically diverse African American samples. Using a novel spatial measure of neighborhood-level racial residential segregation, we examined the association between segregation and ideal CVH in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS). Hypothesis: Racial residential segregation will be associated with worse cardiovascular health among African American adults. Methods: The sample included 4,354 men and women ages 21-93 from the baseline exam of the JHS (2000-2004). Racial residential segregation was assessed at the census-tract level. Data on racial composition (% African American) from the 2000 US Census was used to calculate the local G i * statistic- a spatially-weighted z-score that represents how much a neighborhood’s racial/ethnic composition deviates from the larger metropolitan area. Ideal CVH was assessed using the AHA Life’s Simple Seven (LS7) index which includes 3 behavioral (nutrition, physical activity, and smoking) and 4 biological (systolic BP, glucose, BMI, and cholesterol) metrics of CVH. Multivariable regression models were used to test associations between segregation and the LS7 index continuously (range: 0-14) and categorically (Inadequate: 0-4; Average: 5-9; and Optimal: 10-14). Covariates included age, sex, income, education, and insurance status. Results: The average LS7 summary score was 7.03 (±2.1) and was lowest in the most racially segregated neighborhood environments (High Segregation: 6.88 ±2.1 vs. Low Segregation: 7.55 ±2.1). The prevalence of inadequate CVH was higher in racially segregated neighborhoods (12.3%) compared to neighborhoods that were the least segregated (6.9%). After adjusting for key socio-demographic characteristics, racial residential segregation was inversely associated with ideal CVH (B=-0.041 ±0.02, p=0.0146). Moreover, a 1-SD unit increase in segregation was associated with a 6% increased odds of having inadequate CVH (OR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.00-1.12, p=0.0461). Conclusion: In conclusion, African Americans in racially segregated neighborhoods are less likely to achieve ideal CVH even after accounting for individual-level factors. Policies aimed at restricting housing segregation/discrimination and/or structural interventions designed to improve neighborhood environments may be viable strategies to improving CVH in this at-risk population.

A Family Long Free

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally McKee
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
North America ◽  
New Orleans ◽  
Emancipation Proclamation ◽  
History Of ◽  
High Level ◽  
Free African Americans ◽  
The City ◽  
And Training

This chapter argues that no family embodies the anomalous history of New Orleans better than the Dede family. Of all the towns and cities in North America with populations of free African Americans, the chapter goes on to argue, New Orleans was the city most likely to have produced a black man like Edmond Dede—possessed of enough talent, ambition, and training to launch himself up to a high level of accomplishment. Only in New Orleans could African American families trace their family's history back beyond 1864, the year the Emancipation Proclamation took effect. Contrary to later reports that Edmond Dede was the son of West Indian refugees, he in fact belonged instead to a long-established family with roots in North America.

scholarly journals Reach Out Churches: A Community-Based Participatory Research Pilot Trial to Assess the Feasibility of a Mobile Health Technology Intervention to Reduce Blood Pressure Among African Americans

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lesli E. Skolarus ◽  
Joan Cowdery ◽  
Mackenzie Dome ◽  
Sarah Bailey ◽  
Jonggyu Baek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Participatory Research ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Pilot Trial ◽  
Community Based Participatory Research ◽  
Reduce Blood Pressure ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Innovative Strategies ◽  
Technology Intervention

Innovative strategies are needed to reduce the hypertension epidemic among African Americans. Reach Out was a faith-collaborative, mobile health, randomized, pilot intervention trial of four mobile health components to reduce high blood pressure (BP) compared to usual care. It was designed and tested within a community-based participatory research framework among African Americans recruited and randomized from churches in Flint, Michigan. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of the Reach Out processes. Feasibility was assessed by willingness to consent (acceptance of randomization), proportion of weeks participants texted their BP readings (intervention use), number lost to follow-up (retention), and responses to postintervention surveys and focus groups (acceptance of intervention). Of the 425 church members who underwent BP screening, 94 enrolled in the study and 73 (78%) completed the 6-month outcome assessment. Median age was 58 years, and 79% were women. Participants responded with their BPs on an average of 13.7 (SD = 10.7) weeks out of 26 weeks that the BP prompts were sent. All participants reported satisfaction with the intervention. Reach Out, a faith-collaborative, mobile health intervention was feasible. Further study of the efficacy of the intervention and additional mobile health strategies should be considered.

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