The REACH Up and Out program hopes to continue impacting the lives of Black women in the Deep South, and there is great potential for the future.
Author: Sunathia Mims
Media Contact: Adam Pope
The REACH Up and Out program hopes to continue impacting the lives of Black women in the Deep South, and there is great potential for the future.Rural communities in the Deep South often lack healthy food options and fitness resources. The Center for Minority Health and Health Equity Research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham recently launched an innovative initiative to address health disparities and promote healthy eating and physical activity among Black women ages 18 and older living in rural Alabama and Mississippi. It was announced that the implementation of the initiative has been successfully completed.
The REACH Up and Out: Toward a Healthier Lifestyle program is a five-week, community-led, evidence-based, participatory intervention that empowers Black women by fostering vibrant social support groups. enables improvement of health status. Flexibly designed programs allow community groups to conduct sessions on their own schedules, reducing barriers to participation. This environment encourages women to build meaningful relationships as they collaborate on their health journeys.
This research program was originally developed and conducted from November 2009 to October 2011 by Isabel Scarinci, Ph.D., professor in the UAB Marnix E. Hersink School of Medicine. The first implementation of the program recruited Black women between the ages of 45 and 65. A randomized trial evaluated the promotion of healthy eating and physical activity. This program covers topics such as assessing your current habits, nutrition, physical activity, eating out, and stress management to teach you practical, sustainable ways to live a healthier lifestyle. At 24-month follow-up, positive changes were maintained in terms of dietary behavior but not physical activity engagement.
Dr. Lori Bateman
Photography: Lexi KuhnThe UAB Obesity and Health Disparities Research Center, a center funded by a grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, supported the latest implementation of the RUO program as a pilot project. This implementation was modified as a train-the-trainer model, changing from an academic center-driven program to a community-driven approach. Based on evidence-based findings from research trials, the objective of this program was to establish a network of community partners and educate them on the ability to effectively embed the curriculum within their organizations.
The first step in any community engagement effort is to listen to the community. Dr. Lori Bateman, assistant professor in the UAB Department of Preventive Medicine and RUO’s principal investigator, conducted the focus groups in Selma, Alabama. Jackson, Mississippi. and New Orleans, Louisiana.
The purpose of these focus groups was to identify barriers and facilitators to successful implementation within these communities. Program implementation was tailored to each community and trusted community partners were selected for implementation. Rural Health Medical Program, Inc. in Selma and Shanks Health in Jackson, Housing, Employment, Education, Training and Services were invited to lead programs in their respective regions. MHERC facilitators trained supervisors from each organization, who in turn trained health care workers in their respective regions to lead the classes.
“It was an environment where we could talk a lot, ask questions, get answers, and share information with each other. Our instructors were very methodical in their presentations and encouraged me to ask questions and share ideas with others. It gave me the opportunity to do things.” – Participant
The effects were immediate and participants reported significant positive changes. Participants observed a decrease in fried food consumption and an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption. Increased physical activity has also been reported. Community-led interventions provide support and encourage participants’ commitment to living a healthier lifestyle.
MHERC and OHDRC are grateful to our community partners for helping us prioritize the health and well-being of African American women.
“Now that we’ve thoroughly researched nutrition labels, we now pay more attention to nutrition labels when we buy and shop for food. We’re mindful of calories, sugar, and salt. It makes me more conscious of what I’m eating.” – Participant
“Transforming evidence-based health promotion efforts into programs that can be easily implemented by local organizations with few resources is an important strategy for improving the health of populations experiencing health disparities.” said Bateman. “We are very pleased to see that our local partners in the pilot were able to successfully implement the program and that participants were able to make positive changes to improve their health during the program.”
