Rationale, design, and participant characteristics of the FAITH! Heart Health+ study: An exploration of the influence of the social determinants of health, stress, and structural racism on African American cardiovascular health

Mathias Lalika; Carrie R McCoy; Clarence Jones; Irina Bancos; Lisa A Cooper; Sharonne N Hayes; Matthew P Johnson; Iftikhar J Kullo; Ashok Kumbamu; Peter A Noseworthy; Christi A Patten; Ravinder Singh; Chung-Il Wi; LaPrincess C Brewer

doi:10.1016/j.cct.2024.107600

Rationale, design, and participant characteristics of the FAITH! Heart Health+ study: An exploration of the influence of the social determinants of health, stress, and structural racism on African American cardiovascular health

Contemp Clin Trials. 2024 Aug:143:107600. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2024.107600. Epub 2024 Jun 6.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ Hue-Man Partnership, 2400 Park Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404, USA.
⁴ Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism and Nutrition, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2024 E. Monument Street, Suite#2-500, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁶ Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁷ Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁸ Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁹ Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹⁰ Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹¹ Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹² Division of Clinical Biochemistry & Immunology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹³ Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Center for Health Equity and Community Engagement Research, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 38851481
PMCID: PMC11283952 (available on 2025-08-01)
DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2024.107600

Abstract

Background: African Americans (AAs) face cardiovascular health (CVH) disparities linked to systemic racism. The 2020 police killing of Mr. George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, alongside the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated adverse psychosocial factors affecting CVH outcomes among AAs. This manuscript describes the study protocol and participant characteristics in an ancillary study exploring the relationship between biopsychosocial factors and CVH among AAs.

Methods: Using a community-based participatory approach, a mixed-methods ancillary study of 58 AA participants from an overarching randomized control trial (RCT) was conducted. Baseline RCT health assessments (November 2020) provided sociodemographic, medical, and clinical data. Subsequent health assessments (February-December 2022) measured sleep quality, psychosocial factors (e.g., high-effort coping), biomarkers (e.g., cortisol), and cardiovascular diagnostics (e.g., cardio-ankle vascular index). CVH was assessed using the American Heart Association Life's Simple 7 (LS7) (range 0 to 14, poor to ideal) and Life's Essential 8 (LE8) scores (range 0 to 100, low to high). Correlations between these scores will be examined. Focus group discussions via videoconferencing (March to April 2022) assessed psychosocial and structural barriers, along with the impact of COVID-19 and George Floyd's killing on daily life.

Results: Participants were predominantly female (67%), with a mean age of 54.6 [11.9] years, high cardiometabolic risk (93% had overweight/obesity and 70% hypertension), and moderate LE8 scores (mean 57.4, SD 11.5).

Conclusion: This study will enhance understanding of the associations between biopsychosocial factors and CVH among AAs in Minnesota. Findings may inform risk estimation, patient care, and healthcare policies to address CVD disparities in marginalized populations.

Keywords: African Americans; Cardiovascular health; Health promotion; Psychosocial factors; Social determinants of health.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Clinical Trial Protocol

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Black or African American* / psychology
COVID-19* / epidemiology
COVID-19* / ethnology
Cardiovascular Diseases* / ethnology
Community-Based Participatory Research*
Female
Health Status Disparities
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Minnesota / epidemiology
Racism* / psychology
Research Design
Social Determinants of Health*
Stress, Psychological* / epidemiology
Stress, Psychological* / ethnology

Grants and funding

R21 MD013490/MD/NIMHD NIH HHS/United States