Background We compared cardiovascular (CV) risk factors (CVRFs) of community-based participatory research (CBPR) participants with the community population to better understand how CBPR participants relate to the population as a whole. Methods Good News Participants in 20 African-American churches in Dallas, Texas were compared with age/sex-matched African-Americans in the Dallas Heart Study (DHS), a probability-based sample of Dallas County residents. DHS characteristics were sample-weight adjusted to represent the Dallas County population. Results Despite having more education (college education: 75 versus 51%, P<0.0001), GoodNEWS participants were more obese (mean body mass index: 34 versus 31 kg/m², P<0.001) and had more diabetes (23 versus 12%, P<0.001) and hyperlipidemia (53 versus 14%, P<0.001) compared with African-Americans in Dallas County. GoodNEWS participants had higher rates of treatment and control of most CVRFs (treated hyperlipidemia: 95 versus 64%, P<0.001; controlled diabetes: 95 versus 21%, P<0.001; controlled hypertension: 70 versus 52%, P = 0.003), were more physically active (233 versus 177 metabolic equivalent units-min/week, P<0.0001) and less likely to smoke (10 versus 30%, P<0.001). Conclusions Compared with African-Americans in Dallas County, CBPR participants in church congregations were more educated, physically active and had more treatment and control of most CVRFs. Surprisingly, this motivated population had a greater obesity burden, identifying them as a prime target for CBPR-focused obesity treatment.
