Church Leaders' Health Behaviors and Program Implementation in the Faith, Activity, and Nutrition Program.

Objectives: Church leaders are important to the success of faith-based health promotion interventions through the role modeling of health behaviors. However, clergy may be at a higher risk of chronic disease than their congregants and their health is understudied. This study examined church leaders' health-related behaviors, differences in health behaviors by sociodemographic characteristics, and associations between health behaviors and church-level implementation of an ecological intervention.

The NEW Soul Study: Implementation and Evaluation Impact From the Secular Trend of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Context: In process evaluation research, secular trends refer to external factors unrelated to an intervention that impact implementation. The COVID-19 pandemic was a secular trend that affected the implementation of the Nutritious Eating with Soul (NEW Soul) study.

Objective: This paper describes steps taken in modifying intervention delivery due to the secular trend of the pandemic.

Barriers and Facilitators to 24-Month Maintenance of the Faith, Activity, and Nutrition Program in the U.S.

Little is known about the barriers and facilitators to organizational maintenance of faith-based health promotion programs. This study used qualitative data (collected from 2016-2019) from pastors (n = 81) and program coordinators (n = 103) to identify barriers and facilitators to 24-month maintenance of a faith-based physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE) intervention in South Carolina. Barriers differed for PA versus HE: resistance to change impeded HE while church characteristics tended to impede PA.

Community Health Worker Implementation and Cost Analysis of a Plant-Based Nutrition Program.

Objective: This study describes program implementation through a research-restaurant partnership and assesses participant satisfaction, program costs, and percent body weight changes.

Methods: Participants (n = 60) in a virtual synchronous (n = 43) or virtual asynchronous (n = 17) 12-week plant-based nutrition program received restaurant vouchers. Class satisfaction data were collected weekly.

The urgency of restructuring the landscape of behavioral medicine: Commentary from early-career diversity institute scholars.

Structural and systemic barriers entrenched in academia have sustained for decades, and resulted in a lack of diversity in leadership positions, inequitable workloads for women and underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, and increasing issues with retention of faculty, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasing opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in higher education via legislation, policies, and general anti-DEI sentiment contextualizes the importance of prioritizing DEI. The goal of this commentary is to open discussion among academic institutions regarding changes in DEI culture that will facilitate the growth of diverse early-career faculty (ECF).

"It's Gonna Be Okay"-A Qualitative Exploration of the COVID-19 Pandemic's Effects on African American Participants During a Dietary Intervention Study.

Background: African American adults are at increased risk for chronic diseases. Limited research exists regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic affected African American adults in behavioral interventions.

Objective: This study assessed how the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, before vaccine availability and widespread testing, affected stress, nutrition, and exercise behaviors of African American adults participating in a dietary intervention study.

NEW Soul in the neighborhood-reach and effectiveness of a dissemination and implementation feasibility study.

Dissemination and implementation (D&I) studies of dietary interventions for African Americans are limited. Restaurants may be an innovative setting to deliver dietary interventions. Purpose: Assess weight loss, self-efficacy for healthy eating, diet quality, and quality of life in African Americans in two groups: virtual synchronous and virtual asynchronous.

A process for converting an in-person training to increase church capacity to implement physical activity and healthy eating practices and policies to an online format.

The implementation of evidence-based public health programs into practice is critical for improving health, but trainings for organizational change agents are often not scalable. To describe the process of converting a training that targets faith-based organizational capacity development from an in-person to an online format. We engaged in an iterative process to convert the training delivery mode from in-person to online that included assessing stakeholder support, consulting the literature on best practices, seeking a design team, consolidating content, designing engaging lessons, and building an online site.

Effect of a Plant-Based vs Omnivorous Soul Food Diet on Weight and Lipid Levels Among African American Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: More African American individuals die from cardiovascular disease (CVD) than any other chronic disease condition. Despite this disparity, African American individuals are underrepresented in nutrition and CVD interventions.

Objective: To compare the effects of an entirely plant-based (vegan) or low-fat omnivorous (omni) diet on change in body weight and lipids during a 2-year intervention.

Socially Distanced Data Collection: Lessons Learned Using Electronic Bluetooth Scales to Assess Weight.

. Electronic Bluetooth scales (e-scales) may be useful for remote weight assessment. This study analyzed predictors of engagement with e-scales and feasibility for remote weight assessment.

The IMAGINE Intervention: Impacting Physical Activity, Body Fat, Body Mass Index, and Dietary Inflammatory Index.

Background: Many behavior-change interventions focused on nutrition and physical activity (PA) have been implemented to prevent disease and promote optimal health.

Purpose: This study examined changes in PA with Energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DII™) and chronic disease risk factors in participants of a multicomponent intervention.

Methods: Data from the Inflammation Management Intervention (IMAGINE) were used.

The Fasting and Shifted Timing (FAST) of Eating Study: A pilot feasibility randomized crossover intervention assessing the acceptability of three different fasting diet approaches.

Background And Aims: The aim of this study is to assess the acceptability of following three different fasting protocols [Early Time-restricted Feeding (eTRF; eating majority of kcals before 5pm), Time-restricted Feeding (TRF; restricting feeding window to 8 h/d), or Alternate Day Fasting (ADF; complete fasting every other day)].

Methods: In this remotely delivered six-week crossover intervention, participants were randomly assigned to follow either an eTRF, TRF, or ADF diet for one week, followed by a one-week washout period. Participants followed all three diets and completed questionnaires assessing self-reported weight, energy intake, dietary acceptability (Food Acceptability Questionnaire), and facilitators and barriers to adhering to each diet.

The FAN program plan: Creating a healthy church environment for physical activity and healthy eating.

Background: Faith, Activity, & Nutrition (FAN) helps churches create a healthier environment for physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE) through policy, systems, and environmental changes.

Objective: The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation, evaluation, and revision of the FAN Program Plan across a two-phase study to help churches create guidelines and policies for PA and HE.

Methods: In Phase 1, church committees attended trainings led by Community Health Advisors (CHA) where they assessed current practices to PA and HE.

The Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN) dissemination and implementation study: changes in and maintenance of organizational practices over 24 months in a statewide initiative.

Background: Few studies have examined the impact of ecological health promotion interventions on organizational practices over time, especially in faith-based settings. This statewide dissemination and implementation study examined change in organizational practices and their predictors across a 24-month period, as well as maintenance of change.

Methods: Using a pre-post quasi-experimental design, church coordinators from 92 United Methodist Churches in South Carolina (42% predominantly African American congregations) completed surveys at baseline, and immediate, 12-, and 24-months post-training regarding physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE) organizational practices consistent with the Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN) program (opportunities, policies, pastor support, messages) and possible predictors.

Pathways of influences leading to adoption of the Faith, Activity and Nutrition (FAN) program in a statewide initiative.

RE-AIM (Reach, effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) and CFIR (Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research) are complementary frameworks guiding research on dissemination and implementation of evidence-based interventions and factors influencing this process. Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN) is an evidence-based program that increased physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake in faith-based settings. The aims of this adoption study were to quantify state-wide church level adoption rates and congregant reach of FAN in accordance with RE-AIM guidelines, and to explore the association of CFIR-derived constructs of the church inner setting and pastor characteristics with FAN adoption.

Comparison of the Diet ID Platform to the Automated Self-administered 24-hour (ASA24) Dietary Assessment Tool for Assessment of Dietary Intake.

Objective: Collecting multiple 24-hour recalls (24HR) can be burdensome, necessitating alternative methods to assess dietary intake in the research setting.

Method: This cross-sectional study compared the use of the Diet ID™ online platform with three unannounced 24HR assessed via the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour recall (ASA24) among participants in the Nutritious Eating with Soul (NEW Soul) study. NEW Soul participants (n = 68; 100% African American, 79% female, mean age 50.

Effective recruitment strategies for African-American men and women: the Nutritious Eating with Soul study.

Previous studies have found it challenging to recruit African-American (AA) participants into health education research studies. The goal of this article is to describe the recruitment methods used for the Nutritious Eating with Soul (NEW Soul) study, a 2-year randomized behavioral health education intervention, conducted in two cohorts, with emphasis on methods used for reaching men. Participants indicated how they learned about the study on an online screening questionnaire from a list of the recruitment strategies we employed.

Program Implementation and Church Members' Health Behaviors in a Countywide Study of the Faith, Activity, and Nutrition Program.

Implementation research of health programs in faith-based organizations is lacking. The Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN) program helps churches improve physical activity and fruit and vegetable behaviors of members. This study examined associations between implementation of FAN intervention components and church members' physical activity, fruit and vegetable behaviors, and self-efficacy for improving these behaviors.

"It's having something that you've done it for": Applying Self-Determination Theory to participants' motivations in a for-cause physical activity event.

For-cause physical activity events reach many people. Little research has applied Self-Determination Theory to participants' experiences in for-cause physical activity events. This qualitative study explored participants' ( = 18) experiences in 5K for-cause physical activity events and intention to complete future events.

Objective Church Environment Audits and Attendee Perceptions of Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Supports within the Church Setting.

Interventions in faith-based settings are increasingly popular, due to their effectiveness for improving attendee health outcomes and behaviors. Little past research has examined the important role of the church environment in individual-level outcomes using objective environmental audits. This study examined associations between the objectively measured physical church environment and attendees' perceptions of physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE) supports within the church environment, self-efficacy for PA and HE, and self-reported PA and HE behaviors.

Assessing the Walkability Environments of Churches in a Rural Southeastern County of the United States.

Context: Churches can serve as important health promotion partners, especially in rural areas. However, little is known about the built environment surrounding churches in rural areas, including how these environments may impact opportunities for physical activity (PA) and may differ by neighborhood income levels.

Objective: This study described walkability around churches in a rural county and examined differences in church walkability between high-, medium-, and low-income neighborhoods.

Church Leaders' Views of Obesity Prevention Efforts for Children and Youth.

Objective: To examine church leaders' views on the role of faith-based organizations in promoting healthy eating and physical activity in children.

Design: Qualitative research using semi-structured in-depth interviews.

Setting: South Carolina.

Community Health Advisors' Characteristics and Behaviors, Role Performance, and Volunteer Satisfaction in a Church-Based Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Intervention.

Community Health Advisors (CHAs) contribute to health promotion program effectiveness, but their role in faith-based programs is understudied, and little is known about their role performance or satisfaction. In a dissemination and implementation study, 19 CHAs were trained to provide healthy eating (HE) and physical activity (PA) program training to church committees. Of these, 17 CHAs trained 347 attendees from 115 churches.

Leveraging Household Structure for Increasing Adult Physical Activity in a Low-Income, African American Community.

Health behavior changes often require focusing on factors beyond the individual, particularly in low-income and underresourced areas. The purpose of this article was to assess associations between household structure and adult physical activity levels. Data were collected using Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response methodology to administer a household survey ( = 100).

Investigating Socioeconomic Disparities in the Potential Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Environments of Churches.

Faith-based settings have the potential to improve health in underresourced communities, but little research has quantified and compared health-promoting elements in church environments. This study examines the number of potential indoor and outdoor physical activity opportunities, healthy eating opportunities, healthy living media, and total environmental resources present in churches (n = 54) in a rural, southeastern US county and the relationship between these resources and neighborhood income. In our sample, most churches offered potential indoor and outdoor opportunities for physical activity and healthy eating opportunities, with more variability in the number of healthy living media items on display compared to other environmental components.