Trial Information

Diet & Activity Community Trial: High-Risk Inflammation

A diet and physical activity intervention was developed to provide knowledge and skills to
facilitate health behavior change in African-American Baptist Church members in South
Carolina and promote healthy lifestyles to reduce colon cancer disparities. The intervention
entitled, "H.E.A.L.S. (Healthy Eating and Active Living in the Spirit)" was used to train
church education teams to deliver church and community educational activities promoting a
diet rich in fruits and vegetables and an active lifestyle. The training focused leadership
and empowerment skills to enable church lay leaders to become Church Education Teams (CETs)
. The educational activities made it easier for church and community members to eat more
fruits and vegetables, reduce fat intake, increase physical activity, and increase dietary
intake of anti-inflammatory foods associated with colon cancer risk.

This 12 week healthy eating and physical activity program is tailored to meet a church's
needs and goals by:

1. providing cooking classes, recipes,

2. tips for increasing the level of physical activity in their daily routine

3. assistance tracking basic measurements like

- Weight

- Blood pressure,

- Inflammation levels

Education Goals:

- Increase knowledge of health behavior and changes that can impact health status

- Increase confidence in sharing health information with church, family, and community
members.

- Develop skills to facilitate behavior change

- Develop skills to overcome barriers to behavior change