Reducing Risk: A Health Intervention Targeting Lower Income Black Women

Background/Purpose: The epidemic of obesity shows no signs of slowing despite the focus in the media and escalating healthcare costs. Although obesity crosses demographic lines, there is a disproportionate prevalence in the Black community. Specifically, Black women have the highest prevalence of obesity at a BMI of 30 and above compared to women in other racial groups. Compounding the gender and ethnicity issues is the inverse relationship between obesity and socioeconomic status, suggesting that as income levels decrease, obesity levels increase. The purpose of this pilot study was to provide a six month health coaching program to lower income Black women (N = 8; M_age = 53.3 years) in a large Midwestern urban city. The targeted participants for this study were at a higher risk due to ethnicity, socioeconomic status, family history, and access to quality affordable health care.

Method: Participants completed a demographic questionnaire as well as a pre- and post-study Beck Depression Inventory and General Self-Efficacy Scale. Additionally, weight, blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol were monitored throughout the study. Participants met individually with a health coach twice a month for fifty minutes covering topics such as family relationships, food quality and quantity, self-care, achieving balance, healthy snacks, breaking the cycle of unhealthy habits, stress management, and heart health.

Analysis/Results: Results indicated a significant decrease in weight, BMI, and systolic blood pressure, and a marginally significant decrease in blood sugar from the beginning to the end of the intervention. Further results indicated significant correlations between diastolic blood pressure, weight, and BMI, indicating they all decreased together. No significant differences were observed for the psychological inventories or for cholesterol.

Conclusions:

Given that the risk of disease and early mortality is highest amongst minority females, the current study sought to improve the standard of living amongst this group, with the additional impact of those in the participants’ immediate social circle. Results suggest that a focused health intervention with an at-risk population has the potential to improve cardiovascular markers.