Document Type
Article
Version Deposited
Published Version
Publication Date
3-5-2018
Publication Title
Healthcare (Basel)
DOI
10.3390/healthcare6010025
Abstract
Background: As the costs associated with obesity increase, it is vital to evaluate the effectiveness of chronic disease prevention among underserved groups, particularly in urban settings. This research study evaluated Philadelphia area Keystone First members and church participants enrolled in a group health education program to determine the impact of the Daniel Fast on physical health and the adoption of healthy behaviors. Methods: Participants attended six-weekly health education sessions in two participating churches, and were provided with a digital healthy eating platform. Results: There was a statistically significant decrease from baseline to post assessment for weight, waist circumference and cholesterol. Participants reported a significant improvement in their overall well-being, social and physical functioning, vitality and mental health. Conclusion: Results of this study demonstrate that dietary recommendations and comprehensive group health education delivered in churches and reinforced on a digital platform can improve physical health, knowledge and psychosocial outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Vaughn, N.A.; Brown, D.; Reyes, B.O.; Wyatt, C.; Arnold, K.T.; Dalianis, E.; Kalksma, P.J.; Roth, C.; Langheier, J.; Pajil-Battle, M.; & Grant, M. (2018). A 40-Day Journey to Better Health: Utilizing the DanielFast to Improve Health Outcomes in Urban Church-Based Settings. Healthcare 2018, 6, 25.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Comments
Healthcare is an Open Access journal published by MDPI AG.
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.