The mF2F Program: Bridging Digital Innovations and Trauma Care to Boost Health-Related Quality of Life among Black Men

Medical University Of South Carolina, Charleston SC

Investigators

Abstract

Modified Project Summary/Abstract Section Enter the text here that is the new abstract information for your application. Men face disproportionately high levels of stress and trauma that negatively impact their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) – a multidimensional conceptualization of health that has been a target of major public health campaigns due to its association with premature mortality. These men are also less likely to access health services or engage in health promotion initiatives. To address these challenges, Dr. Wippold developed the Fade to Fitness (F2F) Program through his NIMHD K23 in partnership with a community advisory board and informed by barbershop-based focus groups. This program sought to promote HRQoL by targeting the unique individual, social, and environmental factors experienced by these men that are associated with stress and depression management, as well as engagement in physical activity and healthy eating. Focus groups indicated that the original group-based format of the F2F Program would create participant burden and face challenges in reaching a broader audience. In response to these constituent-identified modifiable concerns, Dr. Wippold’s research project will leverage the expertise of the South Carolina Building Resilience through innovative Interventions to promote Growth & Health after Trauma (BRIGHT) COBRE to develop the mF2F Program – a digitized adaptation of the F2F Program. The specific aims of this proposal are to: (1) adapt the F2F Program to a digitized delivery format and (2) assess the feasibility and acceptability of mF2F to improve HRQoL among these men. Leveraging BRIGHT’s Implementation Science, Digital Health, and Community Engagement Cores, as well as the Biostatistics and Qualitative Analysis Leads in the Administrative Core, the adaptation will be developed by constituent-informed focus groups and guided by Intervention Mapping for Adaptations. Additionally, informed by the RPL’s preliminary findings indicating that stress is a significant concern among male participants, mF2F will incorporate elements to address traumatic stress, making it more relevant to the specific needs of these men. mF2F's feasibility and acceptability will then be evaluated using a mixed-methods approach. The development and testing of mF2F will inform strategies to engage these men in digital health efforts, employ artificial intelligence that is attuned to community priorities, and advance scalable, personalized approaches. This adaptation is a critical step toward resolving inconsistencies in healthcare access and providing targeted health interventions for these men.