Grant Details
Grant Number: |
1R01CA296842-01 Interpret this number |
Primary Investigator: |
Fitzgibbon, Marian |
Organization: |
University Of Illinois At Chicago |
Project Title: |
Weight Management and Black American Women: Targeting Social Networks as a Strategy to Improve Outcomes |
Fiscal Year: |
2025 |
Abstract
Abstract
Obesity is linked with a variety of cancer types and is particularly prevalent among Black American (BA)
women compared to other subgroups (57.2 5% for BAs). In weight management interventions, BA participants
lose less weight than non-Hispanic whites. Obesity interventions co-created with community stakeholders show
promise, but are difficult to bring to scale. A novel approach to treatment response involves engaging
intervention participants as change agents. Our pilot data reflect that providing current participants with the
skills to share intervention messages with their social networks (e.g., family, friends) results in greater personal
health effects relative to treating them as passive recipients. Participant-driven dissemination of evidence-
based information may also lead to network- and population-level health effects. These “spill-over effects” may
benefit other BA women with obesity in participants’ networks, given BA women’s highly homogeneous
networks and BA cultural values that prioritize social connectedness and community mobilization. We are
unaware of research examining: (1) if training intervention participants as change agents augments
interventions’ effects on obesity and associated lifestyle behaviors; and, (2) how non-participant network
members may benefit from interventions through participant-driven dissemination. Molina tested a navigation
social network evidence-based intervention (Nav-SN) that provided BA women with skills to share intervention
messages (R21CA215252). Fitzgibbon and colleagues developed an evidence-based Mediterranean Diet
weight management intervention designed for BA women (MedDiet-WL, R01HL129153). Our participant
advisory board and our team successfully integrated and implemented Nav-SN with the Med Diet-WL
intervention. We propose three specific aims: Aim 1. Conduct a 6-month (24-session) RCT comparing
MedDiet-WL alone to MedDiet-SN among 268 BA women with obesity. We hypothesize that: 1)
Participants in MedDiet-SN will show improvements in bodyweight/BMI, and body composition compared to
MedDiet-WL at post-intervention (6-months); Aim 2. Use social network methods to compare differences
in weight management information dissemination by 268 women randomized to MedDiet-WL and
MedDiet-SN. We hypothesize that women in MedDiet-SN will share information to more network members
compared to MedDiet-WL women. Aim 3. Use social network methods to compare MedDiet-SN and
MedDiet-WL in 268 social network members. We hypothesize that MedDiet-SN network members will show,
greater improvements in BMI, body fat, diet, and physical activity than MedDiet-WL network members at 6
months.
Publications
Area Vulnerability and Disparities in Therapy for Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.
Authors: Rahman S.N.
, Long J.B.
, Westvold S.J.
, Leapman M.S.
, Spees L.P.
, Hurwitz M.E.
, McManus H.D.
, Gross C.P.
, Wheeler S.B.
, Dinan M.A.
.
Source: Jama Network Open, 2024-04-01 00:00:00.0; 7(4), p. e248747.
EPub date: 2024-04-01 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 38687479
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