Health equity in action: using community-engaged research to update an intervention promoting a healthy home food environment to Black/African American families

Purpose: Describe the method for conducting community-engaged research to identify needed changes for an existing evidence-based intervention, and prepare it for implementation in a community setting within the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center catchment area in an effort to achieve more equitable outcomes in diet-related disease risk factors. Methods: The intervention, Family Eats, was developed over 10 years ago. It works directly with parents of Black/African American 9–12 year old children to create a healthy home food environment to support prevention of obesity and related cancers. Data collection with community stakeholders occurred through a series of Community Advisory Board (CAB) meetings guided by the Delphi Technique, an iterative approach for gaining group consensus on a topic. Results: Key information on needed changes and potential implementation strategies were identified. Perceived level of engagement among CAB members was high overall and in terms of both quantity and quality. Conclusion: The Delphi Technique shows promise as a method for conducting community-engaged research that promotes engagement and identifies key information needed to adapt and implement an existing intervention in a community setting.