This study worked with African American churches to build and assess their emergency preparedness during COVID-19 and beyond. Using a community-led approach, 16 churches took part in interviews and training, receiving tailored guidance and resources to improve their readiness. Most churches felt prepared for future health crises, and overall scores showed strengths in communication but room for growth in outreach plans. The findings show it’s feasible to support churches in becoming better equipped to protect their communities during emergencies.

This study explored using cortisol dynamic range (CDR), a measure of stress hormone changes throughout the day, as a marker of chronic stress in African Americans. In the FAITH! Heart Health+ study, Black women who had lower (less dynamic) CDR reported more stress, anxiety, and high-effort coping (Superwoman Schema), and lived farther from George Floyd Square. These links were not seen in men. The findings suggest that CDR can be a useful, community-friendly way to measure chronic stress, especially in Black women.

This study summarized two webinars focused on finding ways to increase diversity in clinical trials, since racial and ethnic minorities are still underrepresented despite making up nearly half of the U.S. population. Over 400 people from diverse backgrounds discussed barriers like access, awareness, discrimination, and lack of workforce diversity. The key takeaway was that solutions must be community-driven and co-designed to build trust and ensure fair representation in clinical research.

This study tested an artificial intelligence (AI) heart screening tool in an under-resourced African American community to see if it worked well with this population. In 54 participants, the AI tool accurately predicted heart function, age, and sex, showing strong performance. These results suggest that AI-based heart screenings could be a helpful way to find heart problems early and connect people to care in African American communities.

This study examined the factors that make African American churches more likely to join a heart health program that involves using a mobile app. In Minnesota, 26 churches were invited, and those with stronger support systems for health activities, larger congregations, and younger members were more likely to join. Although the differences weren’t statistically significant due to the small number of churches, these findings suggest that churches with more resources and younger, bigger congregations may be better partners for community health programs.

This clinical trial studied the feasibilty of the FAITH! App, a community-created mobile health tool, to help improve heart health among African Americans in churches during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this trial, most participants were women and at high risk for heart disease, with low baseline heart health scores. The study showed it was feasible to recruit and engage participants, suggesting that using mobile apps like FAITH! could be a promising way to improve heart health in African American communities.

In this study of 644 African American adults in Minnesota, many had heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking, and nearly one in five had heart disease. People who believed they were at higher risk were more likely to actually have these conditions. While most trusted their health care providers, this trust wasn’t linked to lower risk. These findings suggest that understanding community beliefs and social factors can help shape better heart health programs for African Americans in Minnesota.

This study looked at aspirin use for heart disease prevention among urban African American adults from 2015 to 2019. Despite new guidelines and studies questioning aspirin use, rates stayed about the same (around 30–37%). Fewer people believed aspirin was helpful in 2019 compared to 2015. Talking with a health care provider and support from close contacts were strongly linked to higher aspirin use. These findings show that beliefs and provider discussions play a big role in aspirin use, even when guidelines change.