Preliminary Investigation of Civic Engagement as a Novel Approach to Behavior Change and Body Weight Improvement in African American Females

African American women have among the highest rates of overweight and obesity and few meet dietary or physical activity guidelines. The investigators seek to develop a new intervention strategy that will help alleviate health disparities, thereby improving quality of life, health care costs, and disease burden. The African American Collaborative Obesity Research Network (AACORN) recommends an eco-social, community-engaged approach to behavior change that is in line with cultural values of interconnectedness and care for others. The purpose of this study is to operationalize the AACORN paradigm to promote improvements in weight status and health through a civic engagement approach. To achieve this, participants will meet in church-based Change Clubs and be led through a 6 month curriculum, which includes both lessons in cardiovascular risk reduction and a civic engagement project. Civic engagement may lead to change in individual health behaviors by increasing self-regulation and self-efficacy. The investigators will measure club members' adherence to the Change Club intervention, defined as average number of sessions attended, retention in the clubs, satisfaction with the Change Club experience and achievement of at least 50% of self-identified benchmarks for community change within 6 months. In addition the investigators will compare anthropometric factors, diet and physical activity behaviors, blood pressure, cardiorespiratory fitness, and psychosocial factors before and after participation in the Change Club intervention.