One proposed explanation for the glaring health disparity between African Americans and whites, especially in the case of men, may be the lack of access to valuable healthcare and social support resources that are necessary to promote health. Data shows that the degree to which an individual is interconnected and embedded in a community is directly linked to an individual’s health. Researchers suggest that measures of connectedness are reliable predictors of health because community ties give meaning to and individual’s life by virtue of enabling him or her to participate fully, to be obligated, and to feel attached to one’s community—each of these factors exert a protective effect on health. Hence, social networks and the information, coping, and material support they provide, have been shown to be an important psychosocial factor that is associated with a wide range of positive health outcomes.

For the past 3 years, The Center of Excellence on Health Disparities at Morehouse School of Medicine, under the leadership of Shanita Williams-Brown, PhD, MPH and with additional funding from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, as been assessing the effectiveness of social networks to increase participation in healthy lifestyle behaviors and improve health outcomes by evaluating the 100 Black Men Healthy Lifestyles Challenge.  The 100 Black Men Health Challenge is a healthy lifestyle program designed to:

• Promote increased regular physical activity
• 10,000 steps program
• Improve nutrition habits
• Eating 9 fruits and vegetables a day
• Encourage no smoking or smoking cessation
• Ensure that every member has a relationship with a primary care provider
• Role model healthy lifestyle behaviors to members of the community,   particularly youth mentees. 

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