Project Number: 6401-51000-001-06
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jul 01, 2010
End Date: Jun 30, 2011

Objective:
This project aims to develop a culturally appropriate church-based intervention designed at improving dietary habits and physical activity frequency among Mississippi Delta African Americans. We will assess: 1) Whether the “Body and Soul” church-based diet intervention can be modified to address additional dietary and physical activity deficiencies specific to Lower Mississippi Delta. 2) Whether the adapted intervention significantly improves dietary quality, physical activity frequency, and attenuates weight gain compared to non-intervention control groups.

Approach:
This intervention will be based upon an effective and thoroughly evaluated church-based diet intervention “Body and Soul” that has been used to meaningfully increase fruit and vegetable consumption among participants. “Body and Soul” features a combination educational, self-help, and peer-counseling intervention components administered largely by trained lay church members. After adapting these intervention approaches to address the specific dietary and physical activity deficiencies relevant to the Lower Mississippi Delta population targeted, the modified intervention will be conducted in 12 churches and 3-4 churches will serve as controls.