Project Overview The Lorain Country Branch of the National Urban League in partnership with Community Voices: Health Care for the Underserved at Morehouse School of Medicine and Pfizer established the Save Our Sons program was provided to African American men in Lorain County, Ohio. Save Our sons targets African American men ages 18 and up, the workshops focused on ways to incorporate healthy eating and exercise in an effort to reduce diabetes rates and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The Save Our Sons project had two overarching goals: 1)To develop, implement, and evaluate a health education model aimed at reducing diabetes and obesity among African American men, and 2) To improve access to primary healthcare services for African-American men.
Program Activities Workshop sessions included six session curriculum intervention for program participants, Exercise education and opportunities for program participants, collected medical screening and weight loss data for program participants and Connected program participants with social services to meet their individual needs. Participants were also provided with mental health interventions and a medical home during the program.
Outcomes Blood Pressure: At the start of the program, the overwhelming majority of participants (68%) suffered from some level of hypertension with 8% be classified as Stage 2 hypertensive. At the conclusion of the program, Stage 2 hypertension decrease from 8% to 1%; Stage 1 hypertension decreased by 5%. Pre-hypertensive and normal ranges saw increases of 5% and 6% respectively as a result of a decrease of participants unhealthy in the blood pressure status
Blood Glucose levels: At the start of the program44% of the participants were classified as either diabetic or pre- diabetic. At the conclusion of the program the rate of pre- diabetes from 3% to only 1% and the rate of diabetes dropped from 8% to 6%.
Body Mass Index: At the start of the program, 66% of the participants were classified as obese or extremely obese. Given the obesity status of the men in the program, a strong focus was placed on both physical activity and proper nutrition. Post program achieved results with a 4% decrease in the extremely obese status and a 9% decrease in the obese status. There was a 9% increase for those who were originally obese due to weight loss. The healthy range saw a remarkable 5% increase. Through this program, significant weight loss was achieved with the (n=132) participants loosing on average 8.5 pounds during the intervention.
Cholesterol: 35% of the program participants initially suffered from unhealthy cholesterol levels based on pre-screening information. At the conclusion of the program, the desirable range increased by 6%; the borderline high range achieved a 7% decrease. The high range saw a 1% increase which is attributed to a participant with high cholesterol who was no longer able to afford his medication.
Document Save Our Sons Initiative
Project Overview The Columbia Urban League in partnership with Community Voices: Healthcare for the Underserved at Morehouse School of Medicine and General Mills provided The I Am Woman program for the Columbia, SC community. The I Am Woman program is a comprehensive culturally tailored women’s health education program designed to increase awareness on health issues, increase physical activity and increase healthy food choices among African American women. The program which targeted African American Women and had three main goals 1) to provide a culturally tailored intervention targeting AA women and their facilities, increase community awareness on issues related to women’s health and 3) to assist community members with navigating the healthcare system and increasing access to a medical home.
Program Activities The intervention included seven sessions which covered topics which covered health and nutrition. Additional program activities included: mental health seminars, exercise interventions, cooking demonstrations and free health screenings
Outcomes Medical Outcomes: Blood Pressure: Stage 1 hypertension saw a remarkable 17% decrease, while Pre-hypertensive and Normal ranges both saw increases of 6% as a result of a decrease of unhealthy blood pressure status. Blood Glucose: At the conclusion of the program the rate of pre-diabetes dropped from 13% to only 8% while the diabetes rate remained unchanged. Of the participants who are still classified as diabetic, their blood glucose levels dropped an average of 2 points during the intervention.
Program Outcomes: Increase in Knowledge: Test scores improved 15% across program concepts which demonstrate a strong increase in program concepts knowledge. Program concepts include physical activity in daily life, ways to prevent diabetes, how to eat healthier, and speaking to a healthcare provider. Retention Rate: 75% of all program participants completed the program.
Document I Am Woman: Fitness and Nutrition Program for African American Women