Addressing Cardiovascular Health Disparities in Minnesota: Establishment of a Community Steering Committee by FAITH! (Fostering African-American Improvement in Total Health)

Chandrika Manjunath, Oluwatomilona Ifelayo, Clarence Jones, Monisha Washington, Stanton Shanedling, Johnnie Williams, Christi A. Patten, Lisa A. Cooper and LaPrincess C. Brewer
Additional contact information
Chandrika Manjunath: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
Oluwatomilona Ifelayo: Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
Clarence Jones: Hue-MAN Partnership, Minneapolis, MN 55409, USA
Monisha Washington: Volunteers of America, Minneapolis, MN 55439, USA
Stanton Shanedling: Cardiovascular Health Unit, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN 55164, USA
Johnnie Williams: Full Proof Ministry Church of God in Christ, Crystal, MN 55429, USA
Christi A. Patten: Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
Lisa A. Cooper: Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
LaPrincess C. Brewer: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 21, 1-20

Abstract: Despite its rank as the fourth healthiest state in the United States, Minnesota has clear cardiovascular disease disparities between African-Americans and whites. Culturally-tailored interventions implemented using community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles have been vital to improving health and wellness among African-Americans. This paper delineates the establishment, impact, and lessons learned from the formation of a community steering committee (CSC) to guide the Fostering African-American Improvement in Total Health (FAITH!) Program, a CBPR cardiovascular health promotion initiative among African-Americans in Minnesota. The theory-informed CSC implementation process included three phases: (1) Membership Formation and Recruitment, (2) Engagement, and (3) Covenant Development and Empowerment. The CSC is comprised of ten diverse community members guided by mutually agreed upon bylaws in their commitment to FAITH!. Overall, members considered the CSC implementation process effective and productive. A CBPR conceptual model provided an outline of proximal and distal goals for the CSC and FAITH!. The CSC implementation process yielded four lessons learned: (1) Have clarity of purpose and vision, (2) cultivate group cohesion, (3) employ consistent review of CBPR tenets, and (4) expect the unexpected. A robust CSC was established and was instrumental to the success and impact of FAITH! within African-American communities in Minnesota.

Keywords: African-Americans; cardiovascular health; community-based participatory research; community-engaged research; community steering committee; health disparities; health equity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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