SynthesisObesity (Silver Spring, Md.)2024
How effective are church-based weight-loss interventions among Black adults? A systematic review.
Synthesis in Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Racial disparities in the efficacy of traditional versus acceptance-based behavioral weight loss.Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association · 2026Trial
- Feasibility of a Church-Based, CHW-Delivered Diabetes and SDOH Intervention in a Hispanic Community: A Quasi-Experimental Study.Journal of general internal medicine · 2026Article
- Challenges and Lessons Learned While Conducting a Diabetes Prevention Program Among Black Churches During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Health promotion practice · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveChurches are frequently used to reach Black adults to effect weight loss. However, there has been no recent review, to our knowledge, inclusive of solely Black adults in church settings. We sought to comprehensively examine the methodological approaches and weight-loss outcomes of church-based weight-loss lifestyle interventions conducted among Black adults to provide insights on literature gaps and offer suggestions for future research.
methodsGoogle Scholar, PubMed, and CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) were searched for trials conducted in churches that reported weight outcomes at any time point. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guided manuscript development.
resultsA total of 15 studies (N = 2285) from 2007 to 2023 met inclusion criteria, and 33% were high-quality randomized trials. The majority were pilot studies (60%) conducted in the Southern United States. Most reported significant postintervention weight loss. The follow-up time points varied from 2 to 12 months. Methodological approaches included the following: cultural adaptations (93%); theory-guided (93%); delivered by community health workers (80%); and delivered in person in a group format (100%). Only one study offered individual-level attention beyond texts/emails. Most participants were well-educated female individuals.
conclusionsWeight-loss interventions among Black church settings effect statistically significant weight loss, albeit in a small way. Limitations include pilot studies and small samples. More rigorously designed studies are warranted.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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