StrongPeople Together: a community program to prevent heart disease and cancer in church communities
Official title: StrongPeople Together: a multi-site, church-engaged randomized trial to achieve cardiovascular disease and cancer prevention
Funded at Texas A&m Agrilife Research · NIH-11294843 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A multi-site church-based program in lower-income communities aims to lower heart disease and cancer risk through locally tailored classes, an app for self-management and social support, and church-led civic efforts.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas A&m Agrilife Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Station, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | June 21, 2026 |
| Project end | December 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $772,567 |
| NIH project number | 1R01MD020028-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11294843 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 21+ in the Dallas–Fort Worth area who attend participating churches and are interested in improving heart health and cancer prevention behaviors.
✕Less likely to help
People not engaged with the church setting or those with conditions requiring acute medical management may derive limited benefit.
What this research studies
This project partners with 10 church sites in the Dallas–Fort Worth area to deliver experiential lessons on heart-healthy living and cancer prevention. It uses a smartphone app to help individuals track activity and self-management strategies, plus features that encourage family and friend support. The program also engages church advisory boards to drive community actions and create healthy living opportunities beyond the classroom. Formative research with church members will tailor the intervention, and the plan includes refining the app and activities based on feedback. The effectiveness will be evaluated through a community-randomized trial, with Life’s Essential 8 as a primary outcome measure and additional cardiovascular and cancer-related endpoints.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could reduce heart disease and cancer risk in participating communities and inspire scalable church-based prevention efforts.
How similar studies have gone: Similar community-engaged, church-based prevention efforts have shown promise, but this specific multi-site randomized design and app-enabled approach are being tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Texas A&m Agrilife Research
College Station, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Seguin-Fowler, Rebecca Anne — Texas A&m Agrilife Research
- Study coordinator: Seguin-Fowler, Rebecca Anne
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.