# Project 3-Community Health workers United to Reduce Colorectal cancer and CVD among people at Higher risk (CHURCH)

> **NIH NIH P50** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2021 · $717,715

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT/SUMMARY
African American (AA) adults are more likely to contract and die from Colorectal Cancer (CRC) than any other
racial group in the U.S. AAs are the least likely to undergo CRC screening, have precancerous colorectal
polys removed, and have CRC detected at stages early enough for curative excision. Lower screening rates
are linked to the downstream effects of structural racism and other socio-ecological factors. Although reducing
the mortality from CRC is best accomplished by screening, compelling evidence links inflammatory diets and
other cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors to increased risk of CRC. Black churches are central
institutions in AA communities that can help increase access to CRC screening and address CVD risk factors.
Community Health Workers (CHWs), who are trusted paraprofessionals from the target community, may be
able to bridge the connection between CRC screening and CVD risk factors through church-based intervention
delivery. Thus, the overall goal of this study is to develop a comprehensive, culturally tailored community-
based CRC prevention model with a dual emphasis on reducing CRC risk along with its CVD risk factors. The
study intervention has two components: Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) to
address CRC screening and a web-based lifestyle program called “Alive!” to address CVD risk factors linked to
CRC. The C.H.U.R.C.H. Trial (Community Health workers United to Reduce Colorectal cancer and
cardiovascular disease among people at Higher risk) has four specific aims: (1) to compare the effect of a
CHW-Led SBIRT (Intervention) to Referral As Usual (RAU) (Usual Care) on guideline-concordant CRC
screening uptake; (2) to evaluate the effect of a Culturally Adapted CHW-linked Alive! (CACA) program
incorporated into the intervention arm on dietary inflammatory score (DIS); (3) to evaluate the effect of CACA
on changes in Life Simple-7 (LS7) scores; and (4) to examine the multi-level contextual mechanisms and
factors influencing CHW effectiveness, reach, and implementation of CRC screening uptake and CACA
activities through a mixed-methods process evaluation. Given the broad reach and influence of Black
churches, results from this study can be used to inform future scale up of this multi-pronged intervention.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10437182
- **Project number:** 1P50MD017341-01
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Olajide Williams
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $717,715
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-24 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10437182

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10437182, Project 3-Community Health workers United to Reduce Colorectal cancer and CVD among people at Higher risk (CHURCH) (1P50MD017341-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10437182. Licensed CC0.

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