Project Joy

Project Joy is a campaign to promote a heart healthy lifestyle among African American women. The church-based nutrition and physical activity intervention is available to women aged 40 years and older. The program uses existing faith communities to educate church members about health activities associated with Project Joy. Participating churches include messages about healthy eating and physical activity in church bulletins, distribute a monthly "From the Pastor's Desk" newsletter, and host at least one annual Project Joy event. Promotional events include walk-a-thons, dance recitals, and fruit sales. Churches host a weekend retreat to kickoff the program, including demonstrations on nutrition and physical activity. A registered nurse discusses cardiovascular risk factors with the group, and provides individual baseline screening. Following the retreat, once weekly sessions are hosted by health educators. Sessions begin with a weigh-in and group discussion, followed by nutrition education including a taste test or cooking demonstration, and ending with 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity. After 20 weeks, churches develop their own education sessions.

The goal of Project Joy is to improve cardiovascular lifestyle risk factors among African American women.

Project Joy was evaluated using a randomized trial to compare the intervention groups to a group receiving a self-help intervention including heart health educational materials. After one year, the Project Joy intervention group had statistically improved outcomes when compared to the control group. Intervention participants had significant improvements in body weight, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, caloric intake, fat intake, and sodium intake (p's < 0.05) over baseline values. The self-help group did not have significant changes in these measures. Women in the top 10% of the intervention group for weight loss had even larger, clinically meaningful changes in risk outcomes.