Partnerships in Capacity Building: The Collaborative Formation of The Healthy Environments and Active Living (H.E.A.L.) Initiative -- A Faith-Based Obesity and Diabetes Pilot Intervention

In the past 15 years, adult obesity in Los Angeles (LA) County has increased by 75%. Rates are disproportionately high among African Americans (31%) compared to Caucasians (18%). In the predominately African American and Latino South LA, one in three adults are obese or overweight; 29% of children are obese.  Faith-based obesity/diabetes interventions in African-American communities have shown promise, but few have focused on children and adolescents.  Children’s Hospital LA is partnering with the Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, the New Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church and a consortium of South LA community clinics to pilot a two-year, faith-based obesity/diabetes initiative targeting children and adolescent congregants and their families. All intervention activities have been developed with active participation of the pastor, congregational leadership and a Health and Wellness Council comprised of 15 congregation members. Seven congregation members have been hired to implement program activities and will be trained to sustain the initiative once funding ends. We will share lessons learned through the process of building and deepening the partnership roots, congregational participation and trust. We will report how this partnership and the active engagement of the congregation and its leadership has led to changing church norms, robust participation in intervention activities, linkage to community healthcare and resources and the emergence of new, unplanned strategies initiated by the church. Finally, we will discuss the process and challenges of partnering with local primary care clinics to build their capacity to manage children and adolescents at risk for overweight and obesity.