Exploring the Readiness of African-American Churches to Engage in a Community-Engaged Blood Pressure Reduction Research Study: Lessons Learned from the Church Challenge.

Introduction The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) has been used to assess individual readiness for health behavior change. We describe our use of the TTM to assess organizational readiness of African-American churches to participate in the Church Challenge (CC) in Flint, Michigan; the processes of change that moved churches toward readiness for change; and lessons learned. Methods The CC was a faith-based, multilevel intervention to reduce chronic disease risk. A community-based participatory approach was used to engage and recruit churches. We used the TTM to capture church readiness for change and track church progress through the five stages. Results We engaged with 70 churches: 35 remained in Stage 1 (precontemplation), 10 remained in Stage 2 (contemplation), 3 remained in Stage 3 (preparation), 5 made it to Stage 4 (action), and 17 finished within Stage 5 (maintenance). Churches engaged in several processes of change as they moved through the various stages of change. Lessons Learned Utilizing processes of change, establishing rapport, and having previous participants share success stories helped move churches from stage-to-stage. However, certain barriers prevented progression, such as burnout/trauma from the Flint Water Crisis and scheduling conflicts. Discussion Faith-based organizational readiness greatly impacted participation in the CC. Researchers should utilize established social capital, build rapport, and remain flexible when working with African-American churches. Conclusion Although traditionally used at the individual level, the TTM works well at the organizational level to assess and monitor church readiness to participate in community-engaged research and health programming to improve health in an African-American faith community.