GameDay Ready
Health Study
Health Study
Researchers at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing are studying whether a newly developed football-themed and competitive weight management program for Black men can more effectively reduce body weight and improve health compared to a walking and health education program. Join our compensated study!
Compensation Provided
Residents of Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Clarendon, Colleton, Hampton & Orangeburg Counties
Black Men 25-65 Years Old
Have Overweight or Obesity (BMI 27-50)
Fast Facts
Compensation Provided
Residents of Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Clarendon, Colleton, Hampton & Orangeburg Counties
Black Men 25-65 Years Old
Have Overweight or Obesity (BMI 27-50)
Fast Facts
Study Background
Black men living in rural areas have the lowest life expectancy in the United States, and they are among the most underrepresented in health promotion research that addresses obesity and chronic disease risk. Research is needed to develop and evaluate health promotion programs for Black men living in rural areas.
The study will involve participating in either the 12-week “GameDay Ready” behavioral weight management program or a 12-week walking and health education program. Participants will be assigned by chance to one of the two programs and will not be able to choose which program they want to participate in. Both programs will involve meeting in person with other Black men for about an hour as a group at local walking tracks in Orangeburg and Barnwell. This study will help us understand what kinds of programs might work best for helping Black men in rural areas improve their health.
If you are a Black man interested in improving your health and contributing to research that advances Black men’s health, you may qualify for this study.
The study will involve participating in either the 12-week “GameDay Ready” behavioral weight management program or a 12-week walking and health education program. Participants will be assigned by chance to one of the two programs and will not be able to choose which program they want to participate in. Both programs will involve meeting in person with other Black men for about an hour as a group at local walking tracks in Orangeburg and Barnwell. This study will help us understand what kinds of programs might work best for helping Black men in rural areas improve their health.
If you are a Black man interested in improving your health and contributing to research that advances Black men’s health, you may qualify for this study.
Study Background Black men living in rural areas have the lowest life expectancy in the United States, and they are among the most underrepresented in health promotion research that addresses obesity and chronic disease risk. Research is needed to develop and evaluate health promotion programs for Black men living in rural areas. The study will involve participating in either the 12-week “GameDay Ready” behavioral weight management program or a 12-week walking and health education program. Participants will be assigned by chance to one of the two programs and will not be able to choose which program they want to participate in. Both programs will involve meeting in person with other Black men for about an hour as a group at local walking tracks in Orangeburg and Barnwell. This study will help us understand what kinds of programs might work best for helping Black men in rural areas improve their health. If you are a Black man interested in improving your health and contributing to research that advances Black men’s health, you may qualify for this study. |
Additional Information
This research aims to investigate the effects of the “GameDay Ready” behavioral weight management intervention developed for Black men who live in the rural South compared to a walking and general health education program.
You may qualify for this study if you meet the following criteria:
Eligibility Criteria:
Eligibility Criteria:
- 25 to 65 years of age
- Identify as a Black male
- Have overweight or obesity (BMI between 27-50)
- Lived in Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Clarendon, Colleton, Hampton, or Orangeburg county SC for at least one year
- Able to speak and understand English
- Willing to be randomly assigned to a weight management program or a walking and health education program
You may NOT Qualify if you:
- Have a heart condition
- Feel pain in your chest when you do physical activity
- Have had chest pain without physical activity in the past month
- Lose your balance because of dizziness or ever lose consciousness
- Have a bone or joint problem that could be made worse by a change in physical activity
- Have been prescribed drugs for your blood pressure or heart condition
- Have blood pressure regularly higher than 160/100
- Have blood glucose regularly higher than 180 or hemoglobin A1c regularly higher than 8
- Have asthma with symptoms that are not controlled with medication
- Have any lung condition that requires the use of oxygen or daily use of short-acting bronchodilators such as albuterol to control your symptoms
- Have any muscular or skeletal condition that prevents you from engaging in physical activity
- Are currently on a special diet for a serious health condition
- Have had weight loss surgery or are considering weight loss surgery in the next 6 months
- Are in another weight management program or completed one in the last 6 months
- Had major surgery or lost more than 5% of your body weight in the last 6 months
- Have taken prescription or nonprescription medications, herbals, or supplements for weight loss within the last month
- Have been treated for cancer, other than non-melanoma skin cancer, in the past 12 months
- Plan to move to another county in the next 6 months
- Have any other health condition that would prevent you from participating in a behavioral program designed to promote weight loss
If eligible, participation involves:
Baseline assessment
- Completing questionnaires about your health and having your height, weight, waist circumference, and blood pressure measured (this will be done in a private setting)
- Wearing a physical activity monitor on your wrist for 7 days
12-week program
This will be either the "GameDay Ready" program or a walking and health education program. You will be assigned randomly to one of the groups. Program meetings will last about one hour each week.
Post-program assessment
A week after completing the program, you will repeat the same activities from the baseline assessment. This will allow researchers to compare the effectiveness of the two programs.
Focus group interview
Share your thoughts about the program. This interview will last about two hours.
Final assessment
Three months after completing the program, you will repeat the same activities from the baseline assessment.
Compensation of $50 will be provided for completing each assessment for data collection, totaling $150 (baseline assessment, post-program assessment, and final assessment).
There is no cost for you to participate in this study.