Community Partnering for Evidence-Based Advances in Racial Equity and Justice

People with at risk for cardiometabolic illness need healthy lifestyle education (HSE) to facilitate the knowledge and skills necessary for cardiovascular risk reduction. Although HSE is essential, it is not enough to support patients with the considerable effort needed to prevent and manage existing cardiometabolic conditions. Cardiometabolic disorders (CD) represent a cluster of interrelated risk factors, primarily hypertension, elevated fasting blood sugar, dyslipidemia, abdominal obesity and elevated triglycerides. In order to sustain healthy behaviors, most patients need on-going HSE and support. The type of support provided can be behavioral, educational and/or clinical and evidence demonstrates that support is effectively delivered by health professionals and trained peer leaders (PLs). While there is increasing evidence that ongoing support and education is critical for lifelong prevention and management of (CD), more research on effectively integrating DSMS into communities, capitalizing on available resources (PLs) and existing community infrastructures, is critical. However, there is very little research addressing how these interventions may best be organized and implemented in “real world,” community settings, specifically for men. The proposed study will examine an innovative model of support and education using Barber Peer Leaders (BPL), to support prevention of CD and self-management efforts for those with CD within the context of a community-based setting, to provide urban Black men with diabetes the sustained support they need.