Jul 11 2006
African American Women…getting & staying healthy
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African American women are dying at rates that are greater than any other group of women in the United States — and most of these deaths are preventable.
That fact inspired Marilyn Gaston and Gayle Porter, both accomplished health professionals to change their focus and write Prime Time: The African American Woman’s Complete Guide to Midlife Health and Wellness in 2001. But information alone wasn’t enough to meet the need.
So in 2003 they created Prime Time Sister Circles - part health course on exercise, nutrition, and stress, and part support group - to change how African American women approach their own health, and thus the health of their families and communities. Meetings, which take place in convenient community locations, such as churches and community centers, encourage goal-setting, peer support, and empowerment. To date, 130 women have participated in pilots in three states and the District of Columbia; 68% of them have maintained their health improvements for more than a year.
