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How trusted friends, family members, and community leaders helped Hispanic and Somali adults improve their heart health and achieve meaningful weight loss.
What It Is
Heart disease is still one of the leading causes of illness and death in the United States. Many immigrants face additional challenges—including limited access to healthcare, language barriers, and fewer opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity—which can increase their risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease over time.
The study included 475 participants and leveraged the research team's experience with community-based participatory research (CBPR), gained through its long-standing collaboration with the Rochester Healthy Community Partnership (RHCP).
How It Works
The program trained 51 community members, called Health Promoters, who were trusted individuals within Hispanic and Somali communities. These Health Promoters then shared health education, encouragement, and support with members of their own social networks.
Over one year, participants took part in:
- Group discussions about healthy eating and physical activity
- Goal setting and progress tracking
- Weight management strategies
- Problem-solving around health challenges
- Ongoing encouragement and accountability from peers
- Connections to community resources that support healthy living
Topics included meal planning, portion control, physical activity, stress management, mindful eating, social support, and building long-term healthy habits. Rather than relying solely on healthcare providers, the program recognized that friends, family members, and respected community leaders often play a powerful role in influencing health behaviors.
Key Findings
- Participants who received the program showed modest improvements in overall cardiovascular risk after 6 months compared with those who had not yet received the intervention.
- 37% of participants in the intervention group lost at least 5% of their body weight after 12 months, compared with 18% of participants in the comparison group.
- Losing 5% or more of body weight is considered clinically meaningful because it is associated with improvements in heart health and other chronic disease risks.
- The program successfully engaged hundreds of participants and supported high participation rates throughout the study, proving that community-led health programs can effectively reach populations that may be less likely to take part in traditional healthcare-based programs.
Community Impact
This study highlights the value of partnering with communities to improve health. Rather than expecting individuals to make changes on their own, the program used trusted relationships and existing social connections to support healthier behaviors.
The findings suggest that community-driven approaches can:
- Help reduce cardiovascular disease risk
- Support meaningful and sustained weight loss
- Reach communities that may face barriers to traditional healthcare programs
- Build on the strengths and leadership that already exist within communities
- Create culturally relevant health promotion programs that reflect community needs and priorities
When trusted community members help lead health promotion efforts, people can make meaningful lifestyle changes that improve heart health and support long-term weight management. Community relationships may be one of the most effective tools for creating lasting health improvements.
Researcher: Mark L. Wieland, M.D., M.P.H.
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