Protocol of the HARMONY study: A culturally relevant, randomized-controlled, stress management intervention to reduce cardiometabolic risk in African American women.

Background: African American Women (AAW) are at high risk for stress-related cardiometabolic (CM) conditions including obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Prior interventions lack attention to culturally-nuanced stress phenomena (Superwoman Schema [SWS], contextualized stress, and network stress), which are positively and significantly associated with unhealthy eating and sedentary behavior.

Purpose: The HARMONY Study is designed to test a culturally tailored mindfulness-based stress management intervention to address SWS, contextualized stress, and network stress as potential barriers to adherence to healthy exercise and eating goals.

The design and methods of the OPTIMUM study: A multisite pragmatic randomized clinical trial of a telehealth group mindfulness program for persons with chronic low back pain.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is an evidence-based non-pharmacological approach for chronic low back pain (cLBP), yet it is not readily available or reimbursable within primary care clinics. Primary care providers (PCPs) who wish to avoid prescribing opioids and other medications typically have few options for their cLBP patients. We present the protocol of a pragmatic clinical trial entitled OPTIMUM (Optimizing Pain Treatment In Medical settings Using Mindfulness).