Sharestudy.org >> Overview

SHARE, which stands for "Supporting Healthy Activity and Eating Right Everyday" is a weight management study designed to help African American men and women lose weight. The study will look at the role of social support, particularly from family members and friends, in helping with weight loss and related dietary and physical activity changes. SHARE does not involve taking any study medication.

Those interested in SHARE are encouraged to enroll in the study with 1 or 2 eligible family members or friends. Eligible "Lead" participants are African Americans ages 35 to 70 years old who meet the study weight requirements. Since not all individuals seeking weight management treatment desire or are able to name family members or friends to participate with them, we will also study the benefits of social support by creating a "team" condition among some individuals who enroll alone. Eligible "Co- participants" are age 16 to 70 years old who meet the study weight requirements. Co-participants do not have to be African American to be considered eligible. Participation in the study must be with the support of a medical provider in the form of a "Medical Evaluation Form," which must be completed before enrolling in SHARE.

Assignment into one of the four SHARE programs involves a process called random assignment, which is like flipping a coin. There is an equal chance of getting "heads" or "tails". Those who enroll in SHARE with others will be randomly assigned to either Program A (Family) in which their co-participants will also be involved in group counseling or Program B (Coach) in which co-participants will not be directly involved in group counseling. Those who enroll alone will be randomly assigned to Program C (Team) in which participants in the group counseling will be assigned to teams or Program D (Individual) in which no such teams will be assigned.

All "Lead" and individual participants will be offered 6 months of weekly group counseling classes followed by 6 additional classes every 2 weeks. A personal counseling session will occur after about every 6 group sessions during the first year. In year 2, monthly group counseling classes will be offered, with a personal counseling session after about every 4 group sessions. Co-participants in Program A will be offered the same class scheduling as their "Lead" participants, but in Program B they will only attend personal counseling sessions, and designated field workshops.

All study participants will attend 5 Health Monitoring Visits throughout the 2 years of study participation; one at the beginning of the study and then every six months. Weight, height, waist, and blood pressure will all be measured. Study participants will also be asked to complete some questionnaires at the visits. "Lead" participants will be asked to make a laboratory visit to have blood drawn in association with Health Monitoring Visits 1, 3, and 5. We will use blood samples to check on any changes in cholesterol or blood sugar or any other factor related to weight or cardiovascular disease. Co-participants will not have blood drawn for the study.

We think SHARE is a winning opportunity! If you want to find out if SHARE is right for you, contact us at (215)746-PENN and leave us a detailed message clearly stating your full name, phone number, and best time to reach you. Thanks for your interest in SHARE.

Shiriki K. Kumanyika, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D.
SHARE Study Director

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contact information :: info@sharestudy.org · 215.746.PENN :: © 2003 · cceb · university of pennsylvania school of medicine