Healthy-E-AME

Results and Articles

The Physical-e-Fit program was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2002 to 2005.  Researchers at the University of South Carolina and the Medical University of South Carolina worked in partnership with the 7th Episcopal District of the AME Church to evaluate the program.

You can click on the titles of the articles below to learn more about what we found.  When you click on these links, you will be taken to an abstract that summarizes the article.

In this article, we describe the Physical-e-Fit initiative and report the characteristics of members who enrolled in the program.

Wilcox, S., Laken, M., Anderson, T., Bopp, M., Bryant, D., Carter, R., Gethers, O., Jordan, J., McClorin, L., O’Rourke, K., Parrott, A.W., Swinton, R., Yancey, A. (2007). The Health-e-AME Faith-Based Physical Activity Initiative: Description and baseline findings. Health Promotion Practice, 8(1), 69-78.

In this article, we report the main findings from the program.  In total, we trained 303 AME churches in South Carolina in the Physical-e-Fit program.  In a sample of randomly selected members, we found no increase in physical activity over time.  However, we did find that a high percentage of members were aware of the program, and members who were aware of the program were significantly more likely to have become more physically activity and to have increased their servings of fruits and vegetables over time.  In addition, members who said their pastor was supportive of physical activity were more likely to have become more physically active over time.

Wilcox, S., Laken, M., Bopp, M., Gethers, O., Huang, P., McClorin, L., Parrott, A.W., Swinton, R., & Yancey, A. (2007). Increasing physical activity among church members: community-based participatory research. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 32(2), 131-138.

We published additional articles that explored different aspects of the Physical-e-Fit program and physical activity.  They are listed below.

Baruth, M., Wilcox, S., Blair, S., Hooker, S., Hussey, J., Saunders, R. (2010). Psychosocial mediators of a faith-based physical activity intervention: implications and lessons learned from null findings. Health Education Research, 25(4), 645-655. PMID: 20147429

Baruth, M., Wilcox, S., Laken, M., Bopp, M., Saunders, R. (2008). Implementation of a faith-based physical activity intervention: Insights from church health directors. Journal of Community Health, 33(5), 304-312.

Bopp, M., Lattimore, D., Wilcox, S., Laken, M., McClorin, L., Swinton, R., Gethers, O., Bryant, D. (2007) Understanding physical activity participation in members of an African American church: A qualitative study. Health Education Research, 22(6), 815-826.

Bopp, M., Wilcox, S., Laken, M., Hooker, S., Saunders, R., Parra-Medina, D., Butler, K., McClorin, L. (2007). Using the RE-AIM framework to evaluate a physical activity intervention in churches. Preventing Chronic Disease, 4(4). [serial online]

Laken, M., Wilcox, S., Swinton, R. (2007). Working across faith and science to improve the health of African Americans. Ethnicity and Disease, 17(S1), 23-26.

Bopp, M., Wilcox, S., Laken, M., Butler, K., Carter, R.E., McClorin, L., Yancey, A. (2006). Factors Associated with Physical Activity Among African-American Men and Women. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 30(4), 340-346.

Fallon, E.A., Wilcox, S., Laken, M. (2006). Health care provider advice for African American adults not meeting health behavior recommendations. Preventing Chronic Disease [serial online]. April; 3(2), A45.