In 2020, Lovoria B. Williams, PhD, RN, CHET Core faculty member and professor in the University of Kentucky College of Nursing, received an R01 grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) to test a cluster-randomized Diabetes Prevention Program for high-risk adults in central Kentucky churches. The study, known as the Fit & Faithful Diabetes Prevention Program, enrolled 400 participants from 20 churches and was designed to address limitations of traditional prevention approaches.
To move beyond a “one-size-fits-all” group model, the research team identified early weight-loss non-responders and offered weekly motivational-interviewing phone support from community health workers (CHWs). Results indicated that non-responders who received the telephone calls had significantly improved weight change, highlighting the potential value of tailored, adaptive intervention strategies in faith-based community settings.
To share findings with community partners, Dr. Williams and the CHANGE Team hosted a Fit & Faithful Project Celebration at the Historic Lyric Theater on October 23, 2025, attended by pastors, CHWs, and study participants. Additional dissemination occurred through Zoom presentations, ensuring that churches and community members who contributed to the research had opportunities to learn about the study’s outcomes.
The Fit & Faithful project reflects a growing emphasis on community-engaged and culturally responsive diabetes prevention efforts, demonstrating how partnerships with faith communities can support sustained health behavior change and improve access to evidence-based interventions. By prioritizing dissemination directly with community partners, Dr. Williams’ work highlights the importance of returning research findings to the populations who help make such studies possible.
Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01DK125801. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.