Research Project
Developing Food is Medicine for Breast Cancer Survivors: A Lifestyle Modification for Black Breast Cancer Survivors with Cardiovascular Risk
We propose examining the feasibility and acceptability of a FIM intervention for hypertensive Black BCS with obesity to increase access to healthy foods and promote healthy eating and blood pressure control. Our intervention, FIM+BCS, is adapted from an existing FIM program called Mi Care DM conducted at UIC’s Mile Square federally qualified health centers (FQHCs).17 Mi Care DM provided a prescription for fresh produce grown at a local farm in parallel with chronic disease risk reduction education to patients with type 2 diabetes. The program demonstrated a trend toward decreasing blood pressure and a decrease in BMI for 53.1% of the patient participants...
- Principal Investigator
- Lofton, Saria
- Start Date
- 2023-03-01
- End Date
- 2024-06-30
- Funding Source
- Illinois Cancer Health Equity Research (I-CHER) Center
Abstract
We propose examining the feasibility and acceptability of a FIM intervention for hypertensive Black BCS with obesity to increase access to healthy foods and promote healthy eating and blood pressure control. Our intervention, FIM+BCS, is adapted from an existing FIM program called Mi Care DM conducted at UIC’s Mile Square federally qualified health centers (FQHCs).17 Mi Care DM provided a prescription for fresh produce grown at a local farm in parallel with chronic disease risk reduction education to patients with type 2 diabetes. The program demonstrated a trend toward decreasing blood pressure and a decrease in BMI for 53.1% of the patient participants. To expand on and adapt the Mi care DM for Black BCS, we will complete phases Ib, which is to refine the program and tailor it for specific populations, and IIa, which is to determine the feasibility and ability of the intervention to produce a clinically significant improvement of the ORBIT model.18 The FIM+BCS intervention will provide healthy eating and culinary skills through the combination of weekly remote lifestyle modification sessions with a navigator/coach (nutrition, weight management and HTN management), cooking classes based on the DASH diet, and weekly grocery delivery. We argue that modifying lifestyle behaviors early in survivorship will improve long-term cardiovascular health and quality of life among Black BCS.