Journey to Better Health
Condition: Weight Loss
MeSH terms: Weight Loss
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study is being conducted in 8 rural counties in Alabama and Mississippi (4 per state).
      Approximately 400 overweight or obese African American women living in the selected counties
      will participate in a 2-year weight loss study.
    

Detailed description: 
      Using a cluster-randomized study design, 400 overweight or obese African American women
      living in 8 rural counties in Alabama and Mississippi associated with the Deep South Network
      for Cancer Control will be assigned to either a weight loss only or weight loss plus
      community strategies condition for 2 years.

      Weight Loss Only condition: In year 1, participants will attend weekly in-person group
      sessions (1.5 hours each) aimed at behavioral changes for weight loss (diet and physical
      activity) for 6 months followed by twice a month meetings for 3 months, then monthly meetings
      for 3 months. In year 2, monthly phone calls will be used to encourage continued behavior
      change or weight maintenance. In-person group meetings will be facilitated by a trained lay
      staff and community health advisors. Monthly phone calls will be conducted by the community
      health advisor.

      Weight Loss Plus Community Strategies condition: Participants will receive the same weight
      loss program as the Weight Loss Only condition. In addition, a community-based organization
      or other non-profit group in the targeted community will receive funds and technical
      assistance to implement community-wide efforts to increase access to healthy affordable food
      and safe and convenient opportunities for physical activity (e.g., increase farmer's markets,
      develop walking trails).

      Over the course of the study, participants will complete four full assessments to include
      measurement of height and weight (to calculate BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure,
      finger-stick blood draw for lipid and glucose testing, dietary recall, and questionnaires
      concerning participation in physical activity, self-efficacy for eating and exercise
      behaviors, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, social support, and demographic information
      (e.g., age, marital status, education, employment, household income).
    

Intervention name(s): Weight Loss Only; Weight Loss Plus
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Participants will attend in-person weekly sessions (about 1.5 hours each) for 6 months and then twice a month for 3 months and monthly for 3 months. Sessions focus on behavioral techniques supporting healthy diet (including calorie restriction for weight loss) and achieving recommended amounts of physical activity per week. During 1-year weight loss maintenance, participants receive monthly motivational phone calls.; Participants attend in-person meetings as described above. This condition also includes community-wide strategies to increase access to healthy affordable food and safe opportunities for physical activity.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Prevention