PLoS ONE (Jan 2023)

Addressing non-medical health-related social needs through a community-based lifestyle intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic: The Black Impact program

  • Joshua J. Joseph,
  • Darrell M. Gray,
  • Amaris Williams,
  • Songzhu Zhao,
  • Alicia McKoy,
  • James B. Odei,
  • Guy Brock,
  • Dana Lavender,
  • Daniel M. Walker,
  • Saira Nawaz,
  • Carrie Baker,
  • Jenelle Hoseus,
  • Tanikka Price,
  • John Gregory,
  • Timiya S. Nolan

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. 3

Abstract

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Background Non-medical health-related social needs (social needs) are major contributors to worse health outcomes and may have an adverse impact on cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease. The present study evaluated the effect of a closed-loop community-based pathway in reducing social needs among Black men in a lifestyle change program. Methods Black men (n = 70) from a large Midwestern city participated in Black Impact, a 24-week community-based team lifestyle change single-arm pilot trial adapted from the Diabetes Prevention Program and American Heart Association’s (AHA) Check, Change, Control Blood Pressure Self-Management Program, which incorporates AHA’s Life’s Simple 7 (LS7) framework. Participants were screened using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Accountable Health Communities Health-Related Social Needs Screening Tool. Participants with affirmative responses were referred to a community hub pathway to address social needs. The primary outcome for this analysis is change in social needs based on the CMS social needs survey at 12 and 24 weeks using mixed effect logistic regressions with random intercepts for each participant. Change in a LS7 score (range 0–14) from baseline to 12 and 24 weeks was evaluated using a linear mixed-effects model stratified by baseline social needs. Results Among 70 participants, the mean age of participants was 52 ±10.5 years. The men were sociodemographically diverse, with annual income ranging from Conclusions The Black Impact lifestyle change single-arm pilot program showed that a referral to a closed-loop community-based hub reduced social needs in Black men. We found no association of social needs with baseline or change in LS7 scores. Further evaluation of community-based strategies to advance the attainment of LS7 and address social needs among Black men in larger trials is warranted.